The Joy of Golf: Asia looks likely to produce ‘next Tiger Woods’

Joy Chakravarty 14:42 01/05/2014
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  • Showing potential: Korean Noh Seung-Yul is making major waves.

    Asia was once again the flavour of another high-profile get-together of the movers and shakers of the golf industry – this time at the HSBC Golf Forum, which concluded in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday.

    With the development of golf courses stagnating in America and the major golfing nations in Europe, Asia, including the Middle East, is being seen as the engine that will drive the growth of the $68 billion (Dh249bn) golf industry in the near future.

    The increasing popularity of the game in the continent is not just sweet music to the ears of the equipment manufacturers, golf course architects and machinery suppliers, but also to those closely following the professional tournaments.

    It’s a term that has been used several times before for several young talents, but there is a growing belief that ‘The Next Tiger Woods’ will possibly emerge from Asia.

    When I think of ‘The Next Tiger Woods’, I am not just looking at someone who will obliterate every record in the book and win multiple Majors, but certainly a player who can influence millions to take up the sport, or at least generate a massive interest in the game.

    Obviously, the numbers are in favour of this person being someone of Asian origin. After all, just China and India put together constitute a population of 2.5 billion.

    And if you have a look at three of the tournaments held across the globe last week, you do feel that there is some credence to this theory.

    On the PGA Tour, 22-year-old Korean Noh Seung-Yul won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. On the LPGA Tour, the much heralded 17-year-old Lydia Ko won her first tournament as a professional, and third on the Tour (the two Canadian Open wins were as an amateur). Ko is from New Zealand, but has Korean roots.

    On the Asian Tour, India’s 27-year-old Anirban Lahiri put up a stellar display and eagled his final hole to win the Indonesian Masters – his first win on foreign soil, and surely, the first of many in the future.

    With less than four decades of history, Chinese golfers are already making an awful amount of noise with their unbelievable performance.

    At the age of 14, Andy Zhang and Guan Tianlang became the youngest players in the history of the US Open and Masters respectively to qualify for the main field. Of course, Tianlang made the cut despite a two-shot penalty for slow play. 

    And let us also not forget the double Major LPGA champion Shanshan Feng, who is slowly achieving the same popularity in her country as the legendary tennis star Li Na.

    Ever since Noh won on the Asian Tour at the age of 16, he has been regarded as a future Major champion by most of his peers.

    Woods’ current coach, Sean Foley, was so impressed by his game, he took him on as one of his clients, despite saying no to stars like Luke Donald.

    It is believed that Nike added him to their list of ambassador on recommendation from Woods and Foley. Now, with his first PGA Tour win, he has surely ramped up the expectations.

    Turnberry goes to Trump

    Turnberry, one of the most iconic golf courses in the world, has been sold by the Government of Dubai to real estate tycoon Donald Trump.

    The billionaire American may have been having all kind of debates and fights with the Scottish government regarding the use of wind turbines off the coast – but like everyone who visits the golf course in Ayrshire, he too was blown away by its beauty and potential.

    Leisurecorp, the erstwhile investment arm of Dubai with the mandate to build a portfolio of stunning leisure locations around the world, purchased Turnberry in 2008, a year before it hosted The Open.

    But the economic downturn forced the scaling down of operations. It was the second golf course brought by Leisurecorp, the first being Pearl Valley in South Africa.

    Trump, who is currently in the midst of building the Trump International course in Dubai in association with Damac, is reported to have purchased Turnberry for £35 million (Dh216m). He also brought the Greg Norman-designed Doonbeg in Ireland last month.

    Judging by Trump’s recent track record – especially the way he spruced up the Blue Monster after purchasing Doral – there could be exciting times ahead for Turnberry as well.

    But whatever his development plans, Trump insisted in an interview to Golf.com that he would respect the R&A and any changes on one of the most exciting venues on the Open rota will be made only after the approval of the world governing body.

    Quote of the Week

    “Normally they would say sweet 16, but I would say it’s sweet 17. I don’t think I could have any better birthday week.” – Lydia Ko, after winning the Swinging Skirts LPGA last week, when she also turned 17.

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