Windy Shao

    windysjf@hotmail.com

    THREE Chinese golf stars, including Olympic bronze medalist Feng Shanshan, were at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen yesterday to celebrate the opening of China’s first golf museum.

    Feng, 27, fresh from her win at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters at the weekend, was joined at Mission Hills by the reigning Volvo China Open champion Li Haotong and Zhang Lianwei, who in 2004 became the first Chinese golfer to compete at the Masters Tournament.

    Zhang said the museum reminded his of the golf development in China.

    “When I represented China to compete at the Golf World Cup in 1995 at Mission Hills in Shenzhen, China finished below 30th, now Li Haotong (and Wu Anshun) shared second place at this year’s World Cup in Australia on Nov. 27.”

    “We create this museum to showcase world golf but also to celebrate the history of the game in our country,” said Dr. Ken Chu, chairman and CEO of Mission Hills Group.

    “We are honored that Feng Shanshan, Li Haotong and Zhang Lianwei should join us for the official opening — they have done so much to put Chinese golf on the world map since Zhang became the first Chinese golfer to win on the European Tour in 2003.”

    The museum features a number of unique exhibits and artefacts from world golf, including the famous “Claret Jug” trophy, which is awarded annually to the winner of the Open Championship, golf’s oldest Major, and has been loaned by the R&A (one of the governing authorities of golf).

    The museum also celebrates the life of the late Dr. David Chu, the founder of Mission Hills Group, and traces his contribution to the sport in China since creating what is now recognized as the world’s largest golf club in 1992.

    Tenniel Chu, vice chairman of Mission Hills Group and Chinese mainland’s first member of the R&A, added: “As a proud R&A member I am honored to work with golf’s governing body to help grow the game around the world. In addition to running more than 40 junior events each year here at Mission Hills, we will be opening the museum to juniors and golf lovers to further showcase this wonderful sport to the people of China.

    “Also, it is fitting that we should open the museum in the year that golf returned to the Olympics, where Feng Shanshan, who trained at Mission Hills as a junior, won a bronze medal for China. She inspired a new generation of Chinese golfers and we want to help do the same with the golf museum.”

Caption:

Golf stars Zhang Lianwei (L), Feng Shanshan (2nd L), Li Haotong (2nd R), Ken Chu (C), chairman of Mission Hills Group, and Tenniel Chu, vice chairman of the group, pose for a picture during a ceremony to mark the opening of China’s first golf museum in Shenzhen yesterday.Windy Shao