China Eyes Expanded Regional Role

Beijing, China: The China Golf Association (CGA) aims to work closely with the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC) to stage more tournaments in the country and play a key role in the development of the game in the region.

Tian Xiaojun, Vice Chairman of the CGA and an APGC Board Member, noted that the recent Nomura Cup in Beijing will serve as an impetus for further collaborations between the two bodies.

“This Nomura Cup was the first international golf event to be held in China after the Covid-19 pandemic. In recent years, the CGA has worked closely with the APGC and China has participated in almost all the APGC events. There will be more co-operation between our two organisations in the future, and we hope to see more APGC events in China and more golf events in China to be included on the APGC calendar.

"CGA is also willing to get closely involved in golf development in the Asia-Pacific region and take on more obligations on the international arena,” said Tian, who joined the APGC Board in early 2025.

The success and seamless running of the 31st edition of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Golf Team Championship for the Nomura Cup, Tian stressed, will help spur the growth of golf in China.

“Hosting the Nomura Cup, which is a high profile event of the APGC, builds a platform with overall benefits for the development of golf in China. It helped to kindle public interest in golf and boost golf development in Beijing and across China,” Tian said.

“There is a prejudice that golf is a sport for the rich. We have put in a lot of effort to publicise this event and expand media coverage, both through traditional and social media, to bring this international golf event to everyone in Beijing. It was open and free for spectators, and many golf lovers came to watch the Nomura Cup on home soil,” he elaborated.

Tian added that the tournament helped unite the golf community, bringing together various partners and sponsors from different segments of the industry and from outside golf.

“We had around 30 sponsors that supported this event and used it as a showcase for media exposure. There is enormous potential for other areas to work with golf and promote the sports industry,” said Tian.

“The Nomura Cup also helps to boost sports cultural exchange across the Asia-Pacific. This event creates a platform for athletes from different countries and regions to interact off the course, alongside the competition. It facilitates people-to-people exchanges through sport, deepens mutual understanding and friendship, and supports regional sports culture co-operation,” he added.

While the team from Hong Kong, China, eked out a memorable maiden win in the Nomura Cup. a youthful Chinese side impressed with a fifth-place finish – testament to the CGA’s efforts to promote the game among the younger segment through a dedicated junior department.

Tian said: “The CGA has completed a full talent pipeline with national under-13, under-16 and under-19 teams. Selected players take part in organised winter/spring and summer training camps, supported by integrated teams of technical coaches, fitness coaches and medical staff.

"Young athletes are sent to international competitions to gain international match experience. In the past, the elite junior golfers were only supported by their own family and lacked professional and team support. This model provides overall team support to the junior golfers, like the professionals.”

The talent for these teams is sourced through a multi-level youth tournament pyramid. Tian explained: “This pyramid includes national flagship events, provincial and regional events, which are all included in a unified national youth ranking system. The ranking system serves as the main selection reference for national youth teams. The CGA keeps refining the scoring standards and evaluation metrics, shifting assessment beyond pure scores to more holistic player development.”

At the grass-roots level, the CGA collaborates with schools to introduce golf in simplified formats.

Tian said: “Golf is introduced in schools in the format of mini-golf, such as three-hole and six-hole simplified courses. Mini-golf can be set up on school playgrounds, allowing ordinary students to experience golf in PE classes or campus events.

"The programme helps popularise golf at the grass-roots level and expand the youth participant base. With the support of The R&A, the CGA has worked with 47 organisations such as local golf associations, schools and companies, to promote the mini-golf programme.”