Venetian Macao Open | Chinese Amateur ‘Golf King’ to debut in Coloane

Seventeen-year-old Jin Cheng of China, the newly-crowned winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC), will be one of the players competing in the Venetian Macao Open at the Macau Golf & Country Club from 15-18 October.
The Times talked to Jin to learn more about his achievements and what to expect from this young and talented golfer. He admitted that the win at the AAC was meaningful and boosted his confidence, and that his family shares his joy in his achievement. In his words, the AAC was “the best so far” and he thinks the victory will be very important for his future career.
He is now very happy with his game and says that he has been very lucky this year, which has been reflected in his results – this in turn has served as great motivation.
A first-timer in Macau, Jin does not know exactly what to expect from the tournament or even the course, but he is very excited to be part of it and to have the chance to again meet golf legends such as Zhang Lian-wei, who won the open twice, and has become a “role model” for what Jin intends to achieve.
Regarding the possible outcomes from the tournament, Jin does not want to think too much about results. He will face serious competition such as four-time Champion Ernie Els, defending champion Anirban Lahiri and 2013 champion Scott Hend, as well as China’s Zhang Lian-wei and Liang Wen-chong. He is happy to have this chance and expects to play his best, relishing the opportunity to prove himself on a big stage, as he thinks he has a lot to learn yet from all the players that will participate in the event.
“I really treasure this chance to play with the best professional players in the world. It is a great opportunity for me to learn from those champions.  I believe that their experience will be able to inspire me to be a better golf player and I’m really looking forward to meeting them and improving myself,” he said.
Jin sees the 22-year-old American Jordan Spieth as the world’s best player at the moment, since “he is still very young and plays so well and carries so much potential”.
However, Jin says it is still too early to jump to the professional level. “I don’t think I’m ready for it, I need to play more, improve my game and gain more experience [before thinking about becoming a professional]”.
Questioned about the growth of Chinese golf and when he thinks China will have professional champions like its top players at the amateur level, Jin says: “It is really hard to tell. We started late and most of the good golfers are at an advanced age already. Now we have a new generation of young players, but maybe we need one more for that.”
The Venetian Macao Open is a tournament organized by the Macao Sport Development Board of the Macao SAR Government, alongside the Golf Association of Macau. Sanctioned by the latter and the Asian Tour, the USD 1 million event has the Venetian Macao as its title sponsor for the fourth consecutive year. Currently in its 17th edition, the event has already played host to many of the biggest names in the sport, such as Lee Westwood, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo, Padraig Harrington, Fred Couples, Ian Woosnam and Mark O’Meara. RM

The Macau Daily Times is the tournament’s official media partner.