The Rise of Golf in China
China is the new frontier in golf.
I just read an article by Dan Washburn on ESPN about a guy in China who went from peasant farmer to security guard to golf professional in China’s burgeoning new Tour. The fellow’s name is Zhou, he’s thirty-five and his story is not unlike many of the Chinese competing on the three year old Omega China Tour. Zhou had never picked up a club before the age of twenty-two and has never had an instructor in his life, he is now a 2 handicap.
This whole golf thing is still new in the world’s fastest growing economy that is China. Golf in China used to be just a status symbol, much like driving a BMW, wearing a rolex and living in a gated community. But the professional sport of golf really only began in 1994. And for players like Zhou, 22nd on the China Tour’s money list, it can hardly be called professional. In fact, Zhou claims that he spent more money in 2006 than he made.
But much like everything else in this world, the new frontier is China. With over one billion people strong, China is going to be force in just about everything, golf included. With that one billion in population, there is bound to be at least a Tiger or two somewhere in China that is just waiting to burst out. And we saw just recently at the Shanghai Open that the Chinese fans really get golf, and have embraced it. As the price barriers keep coming down and more people can afford to play golf, you can bet that in 20 years from now, the Chinese player will be a force to reckon with on the world golf stage. We’ve already seen what Korea has meant for the LPGA.
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