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Palmer proud of his role in Chinese golf

Golf legend Arnold Palmer expressed his delight on Thursday that his first golf course in China has led Liang Wen-chong to the Masters Tournament.

Palmer, a four-time Masters winner, believes the golfing world can expect the game in China and across Asia to become bigger in the years to come.

“I think it’s wonderful,” said the 78-year-old Palmer, referring to Liang’s participation in the year’s first Major at Augusta National.

Palmer built China’s first modern-day golf course, the Zhongshan Hotspring Golf Club, in 1984 which Liang, the Asian Tour’s number one, has been attached to since he was a teenager.

Liang, who won the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit title last season following one win and eight top-10s, was invited to his first Masters Tournament by Augusta National.

Palmer also hoped that it will be his legacy for his golf courses around the world to create champion golfers.

“That’s what I’m looking forward to doing, and doing as we speak,” he said.

“I think we are only seeing the beginning of what is going to happen in China and Asia. I think it is going to be tremendous. I know that when I built the first modern golf course in China, that was it.

“And now there are hundreds of golf courses over in China and that means that millions and millions of people there will have the opportunity to play golf.”

He added that the Chinese government had recently asked him to donate one of his golf clubs to be placed at Zhongshan Hotspring.

“As a matter of fact, the Chinese government has asked me to provide a club in honour of the golf course that I built in China. It will be going there soon before the Olympics,” he said.

Palmer won his first of four Masters title 50 years ago and accepted the role of the ceremonial starter last year.

Under foggy conditions at Augusta National on Thursday morning, Palmer hit the opening tee shot down the fairway on the first hole, which disappeared amongst the morning mist.

“It was so far that I couldn’t see where the ball land,” he joked.

April 10, 2008