Zhong Xiao-long to start afresh in Binhai

After over a decade of playing golf and lackluster performances in tournaments home and abroad, China's Zhong Xiaolong is starting all over again in search of glory.

Claiming that she's now a re-born golfer, Zhng will move over to San Diego, USA soon to be with her new coach Jim Flick who will guide her in all disciplines of playing golf.

"I want to bring my passion for adventure on to the golf course and start making things happen, like winning tournaments," she said.

The girl from Beijing showed precious talent after she begged her father – a golfer – to take her to a golf course. Zhong herself had the neck for games. She was a good javelin thrower representing both her school and province.

At 17, she was absorbed under a special talent-scouting programme in China and opted for golf. That was where Zhong started her involvement in golf.

Zhong's new move is to overcome a dreaded experience that still haunts her till this day. "In 2004 I was playing in a professional tournament in China. It was a three-round tournament. I led the first round and it was bad weather all the way. The second round was also marred by bad weather and I still hung on to the lead, moving into the final round with a three-shot cushion. On the final round, the weather was so beautiful, sunny with clear skies, but I shot an 81 and lost by three strokes. This incident haunts me till today," she said.

This is why Zhong said she wants to make a fresh start to her golfing career. "I want to forget that incident and the only way to erase the incident from my mind is to start winning. This is why I hired a Jim (Flick) to get me on the right fairways again," she said.

Now 30, Zhong recalled that mountain skiing was her favourite pastime activity in winter during her younger days. "Now, I don't do anything except practicing and playing in professional golf tournaments," she said.

Zhong issued a warning that she'll be a force to be reckoned with when she returns to compete in the 2008 Ladies Asian Golf Tour.

"Sure! I know I'll certainly be a better player in the near future. You'll see a new Zhong making waves in Asia. By then I'll be a re-born golfer with renewed confidence and highly motivated," she lamented.

This week Zhong will lead the Chinese charge in the USD230,000 Asia Miles-Binhai Ladies Open beginning on Wednesday at Binhai Golf Club.

After playing in the first, second and third events in Macau, Hong Kong and Thailand respectively, Zhong gave last week's Women's India Open a miss to get home to prepare adequately to put her best foot forward in the Binhai meet.

"The Asia Miles-Binhai Ladies Open offers the biggest prize purse and I want to make something out of it to lift my spirits before I leave for the US," she said.

Zhong added that she had ironed out some flaws in her game that she believes would help her achieve some positive results.

March 19, 2007