An army of tiny Tigers driving China’s young golf boom
Lai Runci practises every day and looks very much the golfer as she pings the ball effortlessly off the tee. She is aged six. Lai Yiyan has won so many tournaments she has lost count. She is nine.
The two girls — not related — represent China’s growing army of child golfers and the country’s budding interest in a game that was banned under Mao Zedong because it was “for millionaires”.
The sport was allowed to breathe again in the 1980s, but under current President Xi Jinping scrutiny has increased with authorities closing scores of golf courses in recent years after they became synonymous with corrupt officials and extravagant lifestyles.
None of that appeared to matter when a gaggle of snazzily dressed boys and girls aged between six and 10 competed at Guangzhou’s Dragon Lake Golf Club in southern Guangdong, a province that considers itself the home of golf in China. Asked what Runci wants to be when she grows up, a woman’s voice pipes up in the background. “Be a golf star like Tiger Woods.”
STAR IN THE MAKING?
As their parents and grandparents sipped tea or lattes in the Spanish-themed clubhouse and discussed how to get into China’s top universities, the children out on the 18-hole course displayed techniques that professionals would not be ashamed of.
Yiyan, who also uses the name Yvonne, soared to victory in her category, negotiating nine holes in 42 shots to win by a handsome eight strokes.
Hidden beneath a red cap and sun glasses, Yiyan practises up to five times a week.
“When I grow up I’d like to become a professional golfer,” said Yiyan, who with her confidence, ability and golf attire already has the air of a star.
Looking on approvingly is her grandmother Zong Jinyong, who also looks the part with her cap and golf top displaying the Chinese flag prominently. “When I was young I didn’t know what golf was. I only knew what it was in
2002,” says Zong, underlining how previous generations grew up ignorant of the sport.
The China Golf Association had just 400 registered junior golfers in 2013, but that exploded to 35,000 by the end of last year and the organisation expects 100,000 within five years. There are a growing number of Chinese on the professional tours, and last year Feng Shanshan became the first player from her country to become a golf world No 1.
GUANGZHOU: