Chinese number one Zhang Lian-Wei believes the presence of Tiger Woods at this week’s HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai will advance the spread of golf in China by a decade.
The self-taught Zhang, China’s most famous successful golf export and a five-time winner on the Asian Tour, says the 10-time major winner will massively boost interest in the game in the world’s most populous nation.
”Tiger’s presence in China this week has moved golf forward by 10 years,” Zhang said on Tuesday.
”In 1995 China staged the World Cup and that event promoted golf in our country then. Now 10 years later Tiger is here for his first official event and he is known all round the world.
”Young Chinese kids who don’t know golf will want to learn the game and hopefully this will help develop golf further,” added the 40-year-old, whose last victory came at the Volvo China Open in November 2003.
Golf is still in its infancy in China. Cheng Jun became the first Chinese winner on the Asian Tour in 1997 and Zhang claimed the country’s first European Tour victory two years ago in Singapore.
Since the Beijing Country Golf Club became the first Chinese-built course in 1990, exclusive venues have sprung up across the nation, including the world’s biggest golf complex at Mission Hills in Guangdong province.
However, golf still remains the preserve of the elite in China due to its prohibitive cost.
Despite this Woods, the world number one, says the growing popularity of the game in China and elsewhere in Asia will trigger an inevitable rise to the top of Asian players in the world rankings.
”There is no doubt that the hunger for the game in this part of the world will have a positive effect on the professional game,” said Woods.
”It is also sure to nurture future talent and before long will result in not just one, but a generation of world class players. You only have to look at the women’s game to see that,” the 29-year-old added.
South Korea’s KJ Choi is the highest ranked Asian in the world, currently 36th in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Vijay Singh, Colin Montgomerie and Michael Campbell are among the other stars taking part in this week’s tournament.
The event, the 2006 European Tour season-opener, begins Thursday and brings together title winners from the European Tour, the Asian Tour, the PGA of Australasia and the Sunshine Tour.
Woods’ only previous foray into China was at a two-day exhibition event in 2001. – AFP
