CHINESE PLAYERS: WE DID OUR BEST’

　　新浪体育讯　XIAMEN (China) Dec 17, 2007: History reveals that golf was invented in China over 1,400 years ago, during the reign of the Song Dynasty. Officially, modern day golf started in China less than three decade ago.

　　Now into the 7th year of the new millennium, the interest in golf in China has grown by leaps and bounds. Despite this, there seems to be a wide disparity in the level of play between China's men and women professionals.

　　Whilst Zhang Liangwei and Liang Wenchong have made headlines worldwide, Chinese women professionals have yet to stamp their class in the international area mainly because there is a dearth of professional tournaments for women in China.

　　Sensing the need to expose the Chinese women professionals to compete with the rest of the world in international golf and arm them with the competitive atmosphere – a young entrepreneur T.K. Pen, President and CEO of Orient Golf International initiated the Orient Masters – local Tour for women professionals – four years ago.

　　Pen believes that champions will make golf popular in China. "Golf is already popular in China, but it still trails other elite sports like football, basketball, table tennis and perhaps tennis. Therefore, to propel golf into the elite category – in terms of popularity, interest and results, we must produce champions, more importantly in the international arena," he said.

　　Orient Golf International Group owns 1 6 golf courses in China of which 11 are in operation while the remaining five are under construction.

　　Taking advantage of the facilities available and the desire to help Chinese women professionals to make their mark worldwide, Pen said The Orient Masters Tour was mainly aimed at providing the Chinese professionals a competitive atmosphere as there were also foreign players participating in the Tour.

　　"I'm doing my part to make golf in China one of the most popular game – both for social and competitions. I started the Orient Masters Tour to give the Chinese women a chance to play in tournaments, earn some money and to manage their golf in a international competitions." said Pen.

　　He said it was then he decided to have the Orient China Ladies Open last year in collaboration with the China Golf Association and co-sanctioned with the Korean LPGA.

　　"The aim is to let our professionals compete with the Korean women and learn from them, gauge their game and remedy any weaknesses in terms of skills, match temperament and course management," said Pen, adding that the public opinion regarding golf has changed over the past decade and create a favourable influence toward a better appreciation of the merits of the game for high profile competitions.

　　Golf courses, he said has mushroomed across mainland China a t a rapid pace and I believe with the growing interest shown by the government, CGA and Tourism Board, China is set to earn the tag as the "Mecca of Golf" in the world.

　　"The fruits of our labour are already playing dividends. Our professional Feng Shahshan has now earned a full card to play in the USLPGA – a first for China . Zhang Na has already won four events in her rookie year on JLPGA's Step-up Tour. She has already earned USD 800,000 in prize money," Pen said.

　　"Primarily our current setback is still the lack of good teaching professionals and te aching systems. There are less than two good players graduating into the professional rank every year. Based on this calculation the tour will take another 10 years before the general population will start taking interest in watching golf games. It will also take the same time frame for Chinese women professionals to move into the top rankings in the USLPGA, Ladies European Tour, JLPGA and other major tours."

　　In this respect, Pen encourages foreign professionals and teaching pros as well as management companies to come to China and start training children in their early teens

　　"This is a perfect opportunity to grab the huge market opportunity in discovering the next lady Tigers ," he said.

　　Pen figured out that China need to have at least 300 professional women golfers to enter the competitive arena before making an impact and getting good results worldwide.

　　He said: "The golf scenario is changing fast. If in the beginning at least 90 percent of our women professionals graduated from caddies, the second generation players have taken to golf out of interest and popularity . In general, China's women professionals are ready to mount a new challenge in international competitions but it will take some time before they start winning on the Major Tours."