Tokyo, Japan: CT Pan vividly recalls the butterflies in his stomach when his name was announced on the first tee at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro five years ago.
Arriving in Tokyo for next week’s men’s golf competition, he expects to use that experience and craft to challenge for an historic medal for Chinese Taipei.
“I feel honoured and, at the same time, very excited. Getting into the Olympics has been my goal for the whole year. This time, I want to end higher and get a medal. Everyone will want the same thing and it’s going to be tough. We’ll have a good time and fight really hard for it,” said Pan, who posted three top-eight finishes in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, with a best of second place in Thailand in 2012, finishing ahead of fellow-Olympians Hideki Matsuyama of Japan and Australian Cameron Smith.
As a rookie professional, Pan played his way to Rio through his success on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada and Korn Ferry Tour, both development circuits operated by the PGA Tour.
In Rio, he finished tied for 30th as Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson and Matt Kuchar took gold, silver and bronze, respectively, as golf celebrated a triumphant return to the Olympics following a 112-year hiatus.
The 29-year-old Pan believes he is a much different golfer now than five years ago, thanks largely to his first PGA Tour victory at the RBC Heritage in 2019, a commendable debut for the International Team in the Presidents Cup and also a first career top-10 in a Major at the Masters Tournament last November.
“Rio was a great experience as I was from the Korn Ferry and Mackenzie Tour, and didn’t have much experience. I’m more prepared now,” said Pan, a former world amateur number one.
“I loved the whole experience of my first Olympics. I loved the announcement before the tee shot, it was really cool, although it made me so nervous about the shot at the same time. I played with Rickie (Fowler) in the final round, and with other top players. It was such a big stage.
“I think it’s all about experience. The CT Pan of 2021 certainly has more experience. I’ve played in multiple Majors and the Presidents Cup. Compared to 2016, I was just barely out from Korn Ferry and I didn’t have any big event experience.
“I feel this time, I will be more prepared and will be able to perform my best. Hopefully, this will translate to better scores. I’ve competed regularly against the world’s best golfers and I feel I have a shot.”
In Olympic history, Chinese Taipei has won five gold medals through weightlifting and taekwondo and also medals of other colour through athletics, archery, table tennis and baseball.
Pan hopes he can deliver Chinese Taipei’s first medal in golf with the men’s event being played at Kasumigaseki Country Club from July 29 to August 1. In the women’s competition (August 4-7), Hsu Wei-ling and Li Min will represent Chinese Taipei.
He said: “Baseball is our national sport, the biggest sport back home. Our team won the silver (in 1992), which was a big deal. I want something like that to happen to my own people through golf. Our people back home have been struggling with Covid recently and hopefully we can bring some good news, cheer them up and give them positive energy.
“It would mean the world for my people back home (to win a medal). The Olympics is the biggest sporting event in the world. Getting a medal will be a big deal for my family. Personally, it’s a great milestone if you can achieve it. It’s always been my goal since golf was introduced in the Olympic Games.”
