Chinese golfer Marty earns historic PGA Tour card

SHANGHAI: Dou Zecheng could scarcely believe it as he became the first Chinese golfer to earn a prized PGA Tour card, saying his rise to the world’s richest circuit was “going to be pretty big.”

It completes a historic month for Chinese golf after Li Haotong finished third at the British Open at Royal Birkdale. It was China’s best performance in a men’s Major.

Haotong’s remarkable 63 in his final round saw him mentioned as a future Major-winner, but the slight Zecheng – also known as Marty – stole the limelight on Sunday when the 20-year-old won the Digital Ally Open in Kansas on the Web.com Tour.

Zecheng was the first Chinese player to win on the Tour, which is the development competition for the PGA Tour, but his three-stroke victory came with an even greater prize.

“I was talking to my team and I didn’t know if I needed to keep practising or get more experience on the Web.com Tour instead of trying to get to the PGA Tour so fast,” the fresh-faced Zecheng told pgatour.com.

“I never thought I could win this year.”

Zecheng, who only turned pro in 2014 and has competed in the PGA Tour China in the past few seasons, also banked a cheque of US$117,000 (RM500,818) with the Kansas win.

“It’s a big honour to represent China and come play in the United States,” said Zecheng, who speaks excellent English after spending more than five years in Vancouver, where he took up golf seriously.

“Playing and learning from the best, competing and earning my Tour card, it feels amazing right now.”

The bespectacled Zecheng and fellow Chinese Zhang Xinjun have been travelling together this season and trying and earn their Tour card. — AFP