Charting a course to glory

CLPGA has a long-term plan to hone homegrown talent by mixing the old and the new

Feng Shanshan, icon of women's golf in China, has been on top of the world since she captured her ninth win on the US-based LPGA tour last November - a victory that shot her to the top of the global rankings.

That achievement also serves as motivation for her young compatriots to work harder to emulate her success.

But it's not an easy journey, considering the next highest-ranked Chinese player is Japan-born Lu Wanyao, who sits at No 91. She is followed by Yan Jing at No 165.

To improve China's overall level of play and eventually catch up with neighbors South Korea and Japan, the China LPGA is expanding efforts to provide better coaching for the next generation.

Li Hong, chairwoman of the CLPGA, said the China Golf Association has started to qualify teenagers aged 16 and over to apply for professional status, which is conducive to introducing young blood to the CLPGA tour and cultivating a fresh batch of outstanding pros on the international stage.

"Feng is a brilliant golfer," said Li. "To catch up with her, other Chinese golfers need abundant time and persistent hard work."

Li has hired retired pros to counsel young players, giving them advice on how to arrange everything during the tour and how to behave properly in front of cameras.

"Newcomers can learn something from senior players' experience to keep away from wasting much time and energy," Li said.

Some of the promising talents are also hoping to take over Feng's role in spearheading China's charge into the future.

Luo Ying, 25, who idolized Feng for years, started her pro golf career on the CLPGA tour after her graduation from the University of Washington in 2016. She said Feng is her role model.

"She taught us tips on playing and how to keep a sound mindset during a game, on WeChat or face to face, which is quite useful for me," said Luo. After four years' study in the US, Luo was surprised to see the remarkable improvement of the CLPGA - and homegrown golfers.

"I remember that it was easy to claim a CLPGA tournament title with a 2-under overall score before I went to the US," said Luo. "Now it's almost impossible to get a crown in today's events with such a score."

Liu Wenbo, born in 2001, is an emerging amateur player on the CLPGA, where she made history last year by winning the Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Challenge in Jiangsu province to become the tour's youngest champion. She's now No 8 in the China Ladies Golf Rankings.

Twenty-year-old Shi Yuting is one of the most promising golfers in China, and says she has benefited from the counsel of tour veterans.

Shi, ranked No 301 in the world, began to play golf for fun in 2005. A year later she won her first award in a small local tournament.

"The CLPGA tour is a good stepping stone on my way to claim a title on the LPGA or Japan tour," said Shi.

Li said her goal is to see former top-notch golfers who grew up on the CLPGA tour return to help the newcomers, adding: "We want the spirit of golf, the traditional values of China and the glory of this country to be passed down generation by generation on the golf course."