SUZHOU, China, Oct. 18 (Xinhua) — All eyes might be on Li Linqiang this week when the Mitsubishi Electric FA Golf Open tees off Thursday in Jiangsu province because the Chinese teenager goes for his fourth win of the yr.
The 19-year-old Hainan native has had a breakthrough season in his second yr as a professional as he comfortably leads the China Tour Order of Merit by means of eight occasions with RMB351,169 in prize cash.
With the China Tour-sanctioned occasion being the second of 4 straight tournaments, Li might be on the lookout for a powerful efficiency on the RMB500,000 championship so as to add to his prize cash. The cash title winner mechanically receives a full-time taking part in card for subsequent season on the DP World Tour.
With a win at Suzhou Taihu International Golf Club, Li, who skipped final yr’s match to play at dwelling within the Hainan Games, can tie Dou Zecheng who achieved the feat of 4 victories in 2016 earlier than graduating to the PGA Tour.
Li stated he watched final yr’s match received by Xiao Bowen and took observe of how briskly the greens have been on TV.
“I have won three times which shows what I am working on has paid off. I’ve spent a lot of time on my long game with less time on my short game. My putting game in some events was not so good as I expected. Going into this event I need to spend more time on the greens and prepare my putting game,” he stated.
“The season is at a critical stage. The Mitsubishi Electric Fa Golf Open is very important for me to chase for the money title. However, I prefer not to think about it. I need to be grounded, down-to-earth, and try to play well with the shot in the front of me each time.”
While defending champion Xiao is skipping the match to play within the second stage of a Japan Tour qualifying occasion, this week’s discipline consists of the highest 4 gamers on the China Tour cash record. Other notables embrace Zhang Huilin, the 2020-2021 season Order of Merit winner.
Playing on a sponsor’s exemption is Ni Zixin, the one lady within the discipline. The Wuhan teenager has received twice this yr and comes into the match recent off of final week’s Buick LPGA Shanghai the place she completed tied for sixty fourth. If she will make the minimize this week, she’s going to grow to be the primary feminine in 5 yr to take action at a China Tour occasion since Du Mohan and Liu Wenbo on the 2018 Shenzhou Peninsula Classic.
“It’s my honor to play this event as a sponsor exemption. I play just to improve my game,” stated Ni who’s 161st within the World Amateur Golf Ranking. “I will try to have fun and learn from the male players. Making the cut would be an excellent result for me.”
With a protracted historical past in sponsoring golf tournaments, Zhang Wei, President of Mitsubishi Electronic Automation (China) Ltd., stated the corporate, a worldwide chief in automation, took nice delight in “helping golfers of all levels to chase their dreams and reach new heights”.
The firm additionally sponsors the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, Hawaii, on the Champions Tour and the Hisako Higuchi Mitsubishi Electric Ladies Golf Tournament on the Japan LPGA Tour.
Last yr, the corporate co-operated with the China Golf Association to title-sponsor the Mitsubishi Electric Fa Golf Open for the primary time, bringing “a new life to Chinese golf” at a time when many tournaments had been cancelled because of the pandemic.
“The sportsmanship in golf is consistent with Mitsubishi Electric’s slogan: ‘Changes for the Better.’ Our original intention is to grow the game in China and show all golf fans what we have done in intelligent manufacturing,” stated Zhang.
“We are looking forward to a more international event this week. The field is stronger and deeper with more than 100 players from Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Ireland, Singapore, Czech Republic, Chinese Taipei, China’s Hong Kong and China. Ni Zixin, a 16-year-old girl from Wuhan, will undoubtedly inspire junior players across the country.
“This week we’re totally open to golf followers after staging a closed occasion final yr through the particular time. We try our greatest to convey golf followers a novel expertise with every kind of actions within the public space in what I do know might be a really memorable week of golf.”