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There is a quintet putting Guangzhou on the world golfing map. Feng Shahshan, Xi Yu Lin, Jia Yun Li, Yu Yang Zhang and Xin Wang are “celebrity” names in China and in general in Asia.The quintet lives in the same neighbourhood in the Tian He district in Guangzhou, the capital city of Guangdong Province. They are almost all of the same age group – in their mid 20s – except for Lin who is only 17. These girls have a joint mission: to storm the world in the field of golf and earn a gold medal at the 2016 Olympic Games. For this week’s Euro400,000 Suzhou Taihu Ladies Open at the Suzhou-Taihu International Golf Club, three of the Guangzhou gang will be going all out in the 54-hole tournament. Last week at the Sanya Ladies Open, the trio had an excellent outing. Li and Lin finished tied 6th, and amateur Wang Xin finished Tied 56th. “This gang is ready to roar again here in Suzhou,” said 17-year-old LET rookie Lin (also known by her English name, Janet).She continued: “Feng was the first person I knew. Her father first took me to the golf course in 2004 when I was eight years old. There were many of us in the junior training camp but the one who rose up were Feng (now playing on the USLPGA Tour), Li (Jiayu), Zhang (Yuyang), Wang Xin and I. “We are not just golf buddies, but we played in the national team as amateurs and all our parents also give us good support and frequently organise fellowships and have Hi-Tea together with all of us after our practice on the greens and on the driving range. So, we are all very closely knit and that’s the reason we aim to conquer the world.”The 17-year-old who turned professional in 2011 pocketed her biggest prize money of £27,000 at this year’s the Ricoh Women’s British Open at St Andrews where she finished T17th. Lin said: “I’ve not been consistent, but I’m enjoying extra distance after making changes to my swing at the request of my coach Richard Sheridan. I hope to make a similar impact like that at the Sanya Ladies Open at this week’s Suzhou-Taihu Ladies Open,” which is tri-sanctioned by the Ladies Asian Golf Tour, Ladies European and China LPGA. The Guangzhou gang looks formidable this week and ready to represent golf’s “Centre of Excellence” in China.
