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Wang Zixuan [VCG] |
DONGGUAN, South China, March 25 (Xinhua) — Wang Zixuan is back home to defend her GolfJoy Women's Open title at Mission Hills Golf Club in Guangdong province following a successful debut on the KLPGA Tour last week in Thailand.
Last year, the 18-year-old Beijing native topped the CLPG Tour money list on the strength of one win and five top-10 finishes to earn a full-time playing card on the KLPGA Tour for this season. In the season opening event, the Rejuran Championship at Amata Spring outside Bangkok, Wang made the cut and finished equal 67th.
With the KLPGA Tour playing its first tournament in South Korea this week, Wang, a Mission Hills-sponsored player, has opted to skip the event to defend her title at the RMB800,000 championship starting Thursday on the Olazabal Course, one of 12 courses at the massive golf complex outside Shenzhen.
"The KLPGA event I played in Thailand was a real opportunity to compete against their top players. They play very well. The competition is strong and I learned a lot. The atmosphere on the KLPGA is great, and the courses are very challenging. After defending my title this week, I will immediately fly to South Korea to continue my KLPGA schedule," said Wang, 302nd on the Rolex World Rankings.
Despite practicing regularly at Mission Hills, Wang, who won last year on the club's Leadbetter Course, said she was only getting her first look at the Olazabal Course. The par-72, 6,472-yard layout, designed by Spanish great Jose Maria Olazabal, the two-time Masters winner, has hosted the World Cup of Golf on three occasions and has recently undergone renovations.
"This course is much more difficult than the Leadbetter Course. The undulations are significant. The greens have new grass that is a bit soft and doesn't hold the ball as well, which I believe will pose a major challenge for the players. In addition, there are many bunkers (151) on the Olazabal Course. The sand is very soft, so you need to adjust your approach when playing from them," she said.
"Even though I'm the defending champion, I'm not much different from the other players. It's a brand-new venue and it's very challenging. We're all starting from the same point."
Others in the 120-player field this week include Shi Yuli, the CLPG Tour Championship winner, rookie pro Xu Ying, a three-time winner last year, Thai veteran Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong.
Also in the field is Ye Lei, who won the Women's China Open in 2023 as a rookie pro. The Shanghai native is back playing in China after a difficult year on the Epson Tour development circuit in the U.S. where she could only muster two cuts in 12 starts.
(Source: Xinhua)
Editor: Wang Shasha
