As the first event of the China LPGA Tour gets ready to tee off Wednesday in the Chinese capital, many of the region's top pros are looking to make history in becoming the first winner on the new circuit.
"I think it's great and very good for China golf," said veteran Yang Hongmei during her practice round Tuesday ahead of the 50,000-U.S.-dollar Beijing Orient Pearl Championship. "In the past, I maybe lost interest because there were only two or three events a year. Suddenly, there is a tour. We all have hope, so we are encouraged and practice much harder."
Porani Chutichai, who heads a strong group of six Thais competing for the inaugural title and US$7,500 winner's purse, said any tour that provided more opportunity for Asian women professionals was a step in the right direction.
"There needs to be more tournaments, as there are for the men, and more money so we can actually play this game for a living," said the Chiang Rai native who finished third last month in the Thailand LPGA tournament in Chonburi.
Others notable in the 88-player field include China's Yang Taoli, a four time runner-up or equal runner-up last year, Korean LPGA Tour regular Lee Ga-na who is coming back from one and 1/2 years of injury, and Yue Pei-lin, the top Chinese-Taipei player who is looking to turn her game around since losing her Japan LPGA Tour card last year.
"Winning is my ultimate golf," said Yue who is currently working on her game with U.S. LPGA Tour regular Lin Yu-ping. "This is the first event of the new China LPGA Tour, a historic moment, so to win this week would be sweet."
Yang Hongmei, who was in a reflective mood Tuesday on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake that killed nearly 70,000 in her native Sichuan province, said Beijing brought back good memories for her as it was here where she won last year, marking the start of back-to-back victories on the old Orient Masters Tour. Following her victory last June in Wenzhou, she donated her US$7,500 prize purse to the quake victims.
"My game is similar to last year when I won. My short game is my advantage. The condition of the golf course is perfect with the greens very fast. I'm happy to putt on such greens," said Yang.
"This year there is much promise as I see many new faces (for the China LPGA Tour). Some of them are foreigners, some are rookies. They swing very beautifully and have great potential. They are very good for the tour. I hope one day there are many more events and the prize money will rise."
The China LPGA Tour, created by the China Golf Association to foster the development of the women's pro game in the country, will play seven events in its inaugural season. The first six tournaments - Beijing, Yantai, Shanghai, Ningbo, Wenzhou and Xinjiang - each feature a prize purse of US$50,000. The tour concludes in December with the fourth edition of the US$250,000 Orient China Ladies Open, a co-sanctioned event with the Korea LPGA.
(Xinhua News Agency May 13, 2009)
