Women’s golf in China and across Asia blossoms with touch of Korean influence

Professional golfer Lin Xiyu, also known as Janet Lin [CLPG TOUR]

 
When the Women’s China Open first teed off in 2006, the occasion was quietly significant. At the time, women’s golf in China was still taking fledgling steps onto the global stage. The domestic circuit was modest, the talent pool limited and the pathway to elite professional circuits like the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour seemed distant, if not daunting. 
 
Yet that first swing in Xiamen, the host city, coincided with the dawn of a new era, one in which the nation’s most talented women would soon find their footing at home before spreading their wings abroad to challenge the best of the best and eventually write Chinese golf into the pages of sporting history. 
 
In many ways, South Korea’s women golfers played a role in pushing the rise of Chinese women’s golf.
 
Nearly two decades after the inaugural event, the transformation has been profound in China, with Feng Shanshan’s trailblazing major victory in 2012; the steady rise of top players such as Lin Xiyu (also known by her English name Janet), Yin Ruoning and Miranda Wang on the LPGA Tour; and milestone moments in the Olympic Games at Rio de Janeiro and Paris, where Feng and Lin earned bronze medals. 
 

Former professional golfer Feng Shanshan [WME]

 
At the heart of this rise has been the national championship. It is not just another date on the calendar; instead, it is the flagship event on the China LPGA (CLPGA) Tour, where every aspiring golfer dreams of joining their idols to attain world-class status.
 
For Feng, the country’s first major champion and its most iconic player who retired from professional golf in 2022, the Women’s China Open was her goal since the start of her career, especially when she saw firsthand how Korean superstars Jiyai Shin, Kim Hyo-joo and Park Sung-hyun dominated the field on Chinese soil by winning the Open five times among them. Shin is a former world No. 1, and Kim and Park are major champions. The trio holds a staggering 109 professional victories combined.
 
“Growing up as a young golfer, the Women’s China Open was a tournament that held special meaning for me. The experiences I gained over the years played a pivotal role in shaping my career,” said Feng, who has 22 career wins, including 10 on the LPGA Tour.
 
“In the early days, competing against strong Korean players [in the Open] showed us just how high the standard was, and it motivated me to work harder, stay resilient and keep striving for success in the game,” added the 36 year old, whose best finishes include 2nd/2011, T3/2012, 4th/2016 and 3rd/2019.
 
Feng’s victory at the 2012 Women’s PGA Championship, one of five majors on the LPGA Tour, broke barriers for Chinese golf, but she has never overlooked the foundation that events like the Women’s China Open and the CLPGA Tour provided. “I am proud to see Chinese golfers achieving success on the LPGA Tour, and I believe the future of women’s golf in China is exceptionally bright. Today, we have a growing pool of talented amateurs excelling on the CLPGA Tour and winning tournaments, which bodes well for the years ahead. I am confident the next decade will be a remarkable era for women’s golf in China,” she said. 
 

Amateur golfer Wang Zixuan [CLPG TOUR]

 
For Lin Xiyu, who has taken a temporary leave of absence from the LPGA Tour due to the arrival of her first child, the Women’s China Open was both a launching pad and a personal milestone. She became the first Chinese golfer to lift the trophy in 2019, an achievement she cherishes as much as her achievements abroad, which include a podium finish at the Paris Olympic Games last summer.
 
“That achievement will always hold a special place in my heart, and I am proud to have contributed to the growth of our country’s golfing history,” said 29-year-old Lin, who owns seven CLPGA Tour victories. “From the time I began competing, the Women’s China Open stood out as one of the most important tournaments on the calendar. It inspired me to push harder and strive for excellence. Like all great national Opens, it has played a pivotal role in developing women’s golf, providing a stage for Chinese players to challenge themselves.”
 
 
That sense of higher standards and bigger dreams has carried on to the new generation. 23-year-old Yin Ruoning, who has already captured a major championship and the World No. 1 ranking, treasures her formative experiences at the Women’s China Open, where she finished by tying for fourth in 2018. “Competing in the Women’s China Open was always special to me,” said Yin, who is now ranked World No. 7 and holds five LPGA victories. “The tournament has a different feel about it, and there is extra motivation and pressure to perform well. As a junior golfer then, I understood what the event meant to us, and looking back, those experiences have been meaningful in my journey as a golfer.”
 
From the inaugural edition in Xiamen to this year’s groundbreaking move to Shanghai, where the tournament, which is promoted by Sportfive, will be played at Enhance Anting Golf Club from Oct. 17-19, all eyes will be on the next wave of Chinese and regional aspiring stars. The local starlets include a group of amateurs such as 18-year-old Wang Zixuan, 16-year-old Xu Ying and 15-year-old Zhou Shiyuan — all who have won on the CLPGA Tour this season.
 
Wang, who has won once and posted three top 10s, said: “The leading Chinese players are a tremendous source of inspiration. I truly admire their mental strength under pressure and their resilience. Witnessing the success of top players reminds me that behind every achievement lie countless hours of tedious, grueling practice. This motivates me to devote myself even more wholeheartedly to the sport.”
 
The CLPGA Tour has also provided opportunities for regional and aspiring golfers from Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to sharpen their professional teeth, with the likes of Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong (Tha), Onkanok Soisuwan (Tha), Kan Bunnabodee (Tha), Jocelyn Chee (Mas), Ng Jing Xuen (May), Amanda Tan (Sin) and Patricia Sinolungan (Ina) benefiting immensely. With Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul rising to World No. 1 recently, the importance of women’s golf growth across the Asia-Pacific is not lost on many.
 
The upswing in fortunes is certainly a testament to how the Women’s China Open is proving to be the origin of greatness for women’s golf in the country and region-wide.

BY CHUAH CHOO CHIANG [[email protected]]