Cheng Ssu-chia plays at the Xiamen Open International. Photo: Courtesy of the China Ladies Professional Golf Association

 

Representatives from the China Golf Association and local officials jointly present awards for the winners. Photo: Courtesy of the China Ladies Professional Golf Association

The Xiamen Open International was held at the Orient (Xiamen) Golf and Country Club in Haicang district of Xiamen, Fujian Province, from November 21 to 23. A tournament organized by the China Ladies Professional Golf Association (CLPGA) Tour and the Ladies European Tour, it attracted some of the best female golfers from around the world, with 114 players from 22 countries and regions participating in the event.

Supported by the China Golf Association and the Haicang district government, this fierce competition had a total prize money of 250,000 euros ($311,860) up for grabs for golfers.

The worthy winner of the Xiamen Open International was Cheng Ssu-chia, a 17-year-old golfer from Taiwan. Cheng secured victory with a final round of 68, finishing three shots clear of her nearest competitor.

The Xiamen Open International drew players not just from Asia but also from many Western countries. Marion Ricordeau from France came runner-up behind Cheng, with American Beth Allen and French player Alexandra Vilatte finishing joint third. Lin Xiyu, a regular attendee at the US Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour from Chinese mainland, coming in a respectable joint fifth.

The tournament in Xiamen signified the further escalation of the CLPGA's involvement in hosting international golf competitions in China. As a platform to create opportunities for female professional golfers in China, the CLPGA Tour, which was established in December 2008, is the only women's professional golf tour in China supported by the China Golf Association.

Over the past five years, the CLPGA Tour has truly developed into an international organization. The tour's 2014 schedule features 17 tournaments across China, where 227 professional female golfers had the opportunity to play for ranking points and more than $5.3 million prize money.

Pan Zhongguang, deputy president of the CLPGA Tour, attended the opening of the Xiamen Open International and expressed his hopes about the future of the sport in China.

"Competitions like this will draw millions of viewers from around the world. I hope that there will be more Chinese sponsors supporting Chinese golfers by providing them with more opportunities to play golf, especially with the world's top players," said Pan.