Xiamen, China: Fresh from earning her full-time playing card for the 2024 US LPGA Tour season, Nanchang teenager Zeng Liqi is back home looking to add the Orient Women’s China Open to her impressive resume.
Speaking on the eve of the national championship, the 17-year-old said she played solidly at the gruelling qualifying school in Mobile, Alabama, where she carded a six-round score of 16-under 414 to finish 14th.
Because she didn’t meet the 18 years age requirement to participate in the LPGA Q-Series, Zeng, a four-time winner on the China LPGA Tour, successfully petitioned LPGA Tour Commissioner Mollie Marcoux Saaman for a waiver of the minimum age rule and didn’t disappoint. She is now the youngest Chinese to earn LPGA Tour membership.
She said: “There was always something that stood out each round. In some rounds I started very well and it was plain sailing from then on. The other day I thrived late in the round and made up ground.
“I also had miserable holes where I ran into a series of bad breaks. But I can’t complain as I passed through in my first attempt and didn’t waste the minimum age requirement waiver.”
Zeng said she is coming into Fujian Province with fond memories of Orient (Xiamen) Golf and Country Club after winning the CGA Ladies Championship here last year for her second pro title. She is currently second on the CLPGA Tour Order of Merit behind Thai Sherman Santiwiwatthanaphong.
“I rallied from behind (overnight leader Liu Yan) and had a fantastic triumph at the CGA Ladies Championship. But I don’t have much time to recover from jet lag. I am quite tired and haven’t taken a good rest since the Sina Cup in Guangzhou last month. But it’s our national championship as well as the season finale. I want to join the field and end my year well,” said Zeng.
The national Open championship is being contested for the 13th occasion. It was last held in 2019 when LPGA Tour regular Lin Xiyu became the first mainland Chinese to win the tournament.
While Lin is not in Xiamen to defend, notables in the field for the RMB500,000 tournament include Guangzhou’s Ren Yue, a 22-year-old who has secured a half LPGA Tour card for next year after finishing equal 45th at the qualifying school, and Zhang Weiwei, the 2019 CLPGA Tour Order of Merit winner.
The 26-year-old Zhang also has a half playing card for the US next year after finishing equal 35th at the Q-School. This year, the Hainan native made seven cuts in 14 LPGA Tour appearances. In 2022, her maiden year Stateside, she made two cuts in 10 events.
“I played better than last year in the US. My tee shots and approach shots were ideal, but my scoring was not as good as I wanted. I hit some good putts only to make nothing. I felt pressure from keeping the card late this season. My mental game became worse and worse. This is what I need to work on for next year. The ranking was not what I wanted, but I believe I have the game and belong to the LPGA,” said Zhang, a five-time winner on the CLPGA Tour.
“The Women’s China Open promises to be a fantastic week with many talented players. It’s a long time since I played on the China LPGA Tour. I feel thrilled and am looking forward to meeting old friends. It’s a good opportunity to play in a different and exciting ambience,” she added.
Looking to spoil the homecoming is money leader Sherman. The 27-year-old is coming off a strong season, winning the CLPGA Q-School in February and then claiming a wire-to-wire victory in June’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Championship. In all, she’s posted five top-10 finishes in nine events played.
The Bueng Kan native, however, was quick to dismiss talk of a battle for the money list crown between Zeng and herself. Sherman currently leads the Order by RMB36,159.
“Actually, my goal is just to try and win every tournament, try to do my best every day,” said Sherman who last week finished equal 29th at the ISPS Handa Australian Open. “When I play golf, I just focus on myself to play my best every shot.”
