Homework first, then US Masters for China’s teen sensation
HONG KONG: China’s latest schoolboy golf sensation Lin Yuxin says it’s “an honour” to play in the US Masters next year, but first he’s got homework to do.
Left-hander Yuxin stormed to the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) in New Zealand on Sunday with a birdie-eagle finish, securing a place at Augusta and at Carnoustie for next year’s British Open.
“I think it’s going to be a really great experience,” said Yuxin on Thursday, after shooting a fine two-under 68 at the Clearwater Bay Open in Hong Kong.
“It’s an honour and I think it’s a dream for every player to play in the US Masters.”
But the disciplined Yuxin couldn’t hang around too long to chat after securing a share of sixth place in the first round at the PGA Tour China Series event with another 18th hole eagle. There were more pressing matters.
“I do a lot of my school work online during tournament weeks,” explained home-schooled Yuxin, who only turned 17 three weeks ago. “There’s just tons of academics to do.”
Beijing-based Yuxin is in the middle of a five-week run of backto-back tournaments that includes events on the European Challenge Tour, Asian Tour and PGA Tour China.
And later this month he will play with the likes of Jordan Spieth, Adam Scott and Jason Day at the Australian Open.
It’s a workload many seasoned pros would balk at, even without the added pressure of studying. But not this young man.
“Actually I had an online lesson last night at 7pm,” he said. “I finished here at 6pm, the shuttle bus back to the hotel was at 6.30 so I didn’t even have time for dinner.”
Yuxin was bitten by the golf bug when first taken to a driving range at the age of six by his dad in Beijing. But it is his mum who travels with him everywhere now and keeps the big-hitting teenager on the straight and narrow.
“She makes me do homework, yeah,” he said with a smile. “I mean that’s her job, right?”
China’s world No. 66 Li Haotong predicted in Shanghai last week at the WGC-HSBC Champions: “In the next five years we will see a lot of young Chinese players on Tour.”
Yuxin had already caught the eye over the past three years as the leading amateur on the PGA Tour China Series, even before his exploits last weekend.
From 2014-2016, he made 11 cuts in 13 PGA Tour China starts and he finished as the lowest scoring amateur in all seven tournaments he entered in 2016, never missing a cut.
Not only that, he is often, as at Clearwater Bay, challenging high up the leaderboard on level terms with his professional opponents.
“The reason we all take notice is because he’s an amateur,” Greg Gilligan, US PGA Tour China executive vice-president, said.
“That result at the Asian Amateur was just remarkable,” said Gilligan.