'Man in Black' cites growing list of young stars qualifying for Tour

When Gary Player speaks, it's best to pay attention and absorb his infinite words of wisdom.

Nicknamed 'The Man in Black', the South African golf legend, who won a staggering 165 tournaments on six continents over a span of six decades, regularly imparts his honest views on the ever-expanding landscape of professional golf.

After decades of trailblazing success, the octogenarian, who turned 82 in November and reportedly still does 1,300 sit-ups a day, is an authority on the game and he made a few folks sit up and take notice during a recent interview.

Player made a bold prediction that male Chinese golfers would one day take over and dominate the global rankings despite the current state of affairs in which five American stars - Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler and Brooks Koepka - occupy positions in the world's top 10.

His views might not qualify as breaking news, but Player certainly sees things differently from mere golfing mortals.

"Chinese golfers have an enhanced desire to do well," he told Global Golf Post.

Player, one of only five men to complete a career grand slam, revealed he wasn't optimistic when then 14-year-old Chinese amateur Guan Tianlang earned a ticket to the Masters in 2013 after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

He even called Augusta National Golf Club to voice his disagreement, only for fear that Guan would be so out of his depth that he would be put off the game.

As it turned out, the youngster proved doubters - including Player - wrong by making the weekend cut and emerging as low amateur. Player conceded he "couldn't have been more wrong about the child."

Throw in Li Haotong's mesmerizing third-place finish at the British Open in Royal Birkdale last July, following a glorious final-round 63, and Player is convinced the Chinese brigade will soon burst through the gates.

With Dou (Marty) Zecheng, who at 20 is two years younger than Li, and Zhang Xinjun earning PGA Tour cards after taking a journey which began at the PGA Tour Series-China, it's becoming evident Player's prediction is not far off the mark.

His views coincided with another Chinese teenager, 17-year-old Lin Yuxin, who earned the dream trip to this spring's Masters after prevailing in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in New Zealand in late October.

Lin later said he was inspired by compatriot Li's Open exploits.

"It's definitely a motivation for me and it's definitely a motivation for every Chinese player," said the left-hander, who also earned a spot in the British Open.

This pointed back to Player's assertion that the Chinese have an "enhanced desire" to succeed.

Interestingly, Lin has come onto the scene after enjoying numerous opportunities to grind his teeth on the PGA Tour Series-China, the same platform that launched Dou and Zhang into the world's premier golf circuit.

Over the past three years, Lin played on the PGA Tour Series-China, making 11 cuts in 13 starts and finishing as low amateur in seven events throughout 2016 without missing a weekend cut.

With the PGA Tour announcing it will partner with the China Golf Association (CGA) to stage a full PGA Tour Series-China schedule in 2018, commissioner Jay Monahan emphasized the importance.

"This is significant, really significant, for Chinese golf, because Dou and Zhang are the first two players from China to hold PGA Tour membership," Monahan said.

"They followed the path from PGA Tour Series-China to the Web.com Tour, to the PGA Tour, and they are ideal examples of what you can do when you have immense talent. You dream big and you play on PGA Tour China."

The timing of the PGA Tour Series-China announcement could not have been any better as days later, Lin became the third Chinese amateur to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, following in the footsteps of Guan (2012) and Jin Cheng (2015).

Monahan believes a strong PGA Tour Series-China will pave the way for more Chinese talents to break through.

"If we can unlock the largest country and the largest market in the world and we can inspire future generations, and hopefully young people are watching these two stars (Dou and Zhang) and other stars as we go forward, we think that's a wonderful thing for the greatest game in the world," he said.

"We want to develop more elite Chinese players through PGA Tour Series-China, and I think you'll see us continue to collaborate on the specifics behind inspiring future generations."

With some of the game's biggest backers such as HSBC collaborating with the CGA through its junior program - where players such as Li, now ranked 58th in the world, and Lin have honed their skills - Player's prediction could well become true.

The author is a senior director of communications for the PGA Tour. He can be reached at chuahcc@pgatourintl.com.my