Can't wait to return - This Week

Getting into the swing of golf
By Angela Lehmann
Photos by Yao Fan

Top golfers from around the world recently descended on Xiamen to take part in China’s first women’s international professional golf tournament. Less than two years since first picking up a golf club, Chinese player Yang Hongmei won the three-day event. Her win is evidence that China is beginning to emerge as a nation of golf players — and the women seem to be taking the lead.

早春二月，春暖花开。厦门迎来了2004年第一个国际体育盛事，第一届东方国际女子高尔夫名人赛——美西女子职业高尔夫巡回赛中国站比赛。该赛事于2月22日至25日在东方厦门高尔夫俱乐部举行。此次比赛，是中国女子高尔夫球历史上规模最大，水平最高的一次职业比赛。中国女选手杨红梅勇夺桂冠。

China’s up-and-coming golfers beat international players and walked away with first and second place at the Orient West Coast Ladies Golf Tour tournament（美西女子职业高尔夫巡回赛）held in Xiamen last week.
Sichuan golf player, Yang Hongmei (杨红梅) won the championship and walked away with a prize of USD 5,000, her most valuable win to date. The win puts her in good stead to score a place in the prestigious（有声望的）LPGA tournament (美国女子职业高尔夫联合会比赛.

Last week’s tournament at the Orient Golf and Country Club（东方厦门高尔夫俱乐部）in Xiamen was the first women’s international golfing competition to be played not just in this city, but in the whole of China. 28 professional players from countries including the U.S.A., Sweden and Japan joined 28 Chinese players in three days of competition. Top American trainers and sports journalists also attended the event which was screened on four television channels.

Since the inception（开始）of the West Coast Ladies Golf tour two years ago, the tour has grown in recognition and in talent. The tour includes more than 22 competitions throughout the year, keeping players improving and developing their skills continuously. Most games are played along the western coast of The United States. The Xiamen tournament was the first of what the organizers hope would be more international events in the annual tour.

Yang Hongmei, winner of the tournament, has come a long way since her humble beginnings as a golf-ball collector at a golf course in her home province. From a young age she was a natural athlete and became a successful basketball player in the local leagues. Two years ago she was chosen to represent the area at a golf tour in Beijing. As she says, “because I was good at sport and was always around the golf course.”

The trip to Beijing was to change her life. From there she was selected to be one of four Chinese women sponsored by the American Oak Valley Golf Academy（美国橡树谷高尔夫培训学院）. Under expert guidance she underwent intense golf training in the USA. Less than a year later she played a round with the ex-President, Bill Clinton.

In October 2003, Yang Hongmei nearly became the first golfer from China to make the finals of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament in Daytona. It would have been a crowning achievement to an extraordinary year for the 27-year-old athlete. She narrowly missed the chance and put all her effort into training for the tournament to be held in her home country.

Her victory this week reflects China’s emergence as a nation of golf players. Once considered a game strictly for the wealthy, golf is quickly achieving mainstream status in China. The rapid development of the economy and raised standards of living in China has sparked a growing interest in the sport.

The game was introduced to China only 20 years ago. At that time there were only 8 courses in the entire country, and most players were resident or visiting foreigners. Now China boasts more than 200 golf courses with more opening every year.

The Orient Golf Course（东方高尔夫球场）in Xiamen is a prime example of luxury golf complexes being built around the country, seen by some as a symbol of China’s aspirations to wealth. Covering 246 hectares, the Orient is one of the two finest golf courses in China and is the only course in Fujian to have night-lit golf.

While golf is becoming more and more popular to China’s elite, it is still out of reach to the common person. In order to raise the profile of the sport in the country, young women like Yang Hongmei are being shaped into what the Oak Valley Golf Academy see as national role models. Gerry Wang, a trainer from the academy said, “Golf in China needs a hero to lead the group. Players like Yang Hongmei, we hope, will eventually become someone Chinese people recognize as a leader of their sport internationally. The aim of our sponsorship program is firstly to change the image of golf in China. Secondly, by helping current players get to the big stage it will make it easier to promote golf in the country.”

The academy decided to work with female players first because they see the gap between the skills of females in China and in the international league as being smaller than the gap in skills between the men. “Once we get a few Chinese women on the international professional circuits we can attract more resources to develop the sport for both men and women,” Gerry Wang said.

Mr. Huey M. Yu, Chairman and CEO of the organization, says that finding a potential golf role model for China is not just about giving a young woman an opportunity. “It takes desire to succeed and it takes discipline,” he says. “Hongmei has the desire to be a star. All that is needed is for someone to open the door for girls like her.”

If the Oak Valley Golf Academy and the West Coast Ladies Golf Tournament have their way, golf in China could potentially become a game for everybody, with women leading the way.

Top five players in the Orient West Coast Ladies Golf Tournament, Xiamen
1. Yang Hongmei 杨红梅 Sichuan, China 中国四川
2. Wang Chun 王纯 Beijing, China 中国北京
3. Angie Yoon San Diego, California美国加州
4. He Hongling 何红玲 Guangdong, China 中国广东
5. Zhang Lin 张林 Sichuan, China 中国四川

Player focus
Blair O’Neal (back row, second from right), aged 23, has just graduated from Arizona State University, well-known for its America-wide golf team. Her first time to China last week was also her first international golf event as a full-time professional player. She came in 19th out of the 56 players.

“I have been on a golf course since I was really little. I started learning at the age of 11. I love the sport and am out practicing or playing almost every day. It could be anything from three to seven hours a day,” she said.

The international players stayed just five days in Xiamen with only one day to look around the city. “I haven’t had the chance yet to try much Chinese food or see a lot of the city. We’re so busy on the golf course all day! But I am looking forward to having a day to tour around when the event finishes,” Blair said.