Two of Paul McGinley’s three children are older than Chinese wonderkid golfer – Ye Wo-Cheng.
Ye Wo-cheng is aged just 12 years, 242 days and he creates a European Tour first this week becoming the youngest-ever player to tee-up in a European Tour event.
Ye follows in the footsteps of Guan Tianlang, who made history last month when he became the youngest to compete in the Masters at 14. He also made the cut, despite a one-stroke penalty for slow play in the second round of the Masters.
The Dongguan schoolboy will be 287 days younger than Guan, who was 13 years, 177 days when he competed in last year’s China Open.
He’s the latest young Chinese player making his way to the world stage at Binhai Lake club, 65 miles south east of Beijing.
China’s wonder kids – Dou Ze-Cheng, Ye Wo-cheng and Bai Zheng-kai. (Photo – Rickard Castka/Volvo in Golf)
Ye will play the opening two rounds of the co-sanctioned $3.244m European and One Asia tournament alongside Spain’s Jose Manuel Lara and Australia’s Scott Strange both of whom are nearly 24-years older than the Chinese youngster.
And while two of McGinley’s children are older than Ye, the new European Ryder Cup captain is 36-years older than Ye.
Ye qualified for the event at the Wolong Valley Country Club in western China with his father acting as caddy, but also showing enormous maturity in fighting back from a late double bogey to secure the last of four qualifying places.
Also in the field is 14-year-old Andy Zhang, the youngest to play in the U.S. Open last year. He’s joined by Bai Zheng-kai, 15, last year’s winner of the China Junior Matchplay Championship, Dou Ze-cheng, 16, and Jim Liu, the youngest winner of the U.S. Junior Amateur in 2010 at 14.
Ye qualified for the China Open with his father on the bag, rallying from a late double bogey to secure the last of four qualifying places.
“Ye’s ability to listen and respond is way above the norm,” said his coach, Englishman David Watson. “At the moment, I don’t believe that Ye has too many rivals of the same age. He often wins in higher age groups, but at the same time, I know it is dangerous to speculate and we must realize he is just a 12-year-old boy.”
Watson was the former amateur coach to Ryder Cup stars Lee Westwood and Justin Rose. He currently works with the Chinese youth golf program.
Despite his age, Ye has already enjoyed impressive international victories, including success in the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Kids World Championship. Last year, he was runner-up, and holds the tournament record of 12-under par, lowering the previous record by Tiger Woods. This year, Ye captured the Guangdong Junior Championship by a record 18 strokes.
South African Branden Grace returns as defending champion. The 24-year-old Grace is looking forward to watching Ye perform.
“It’s just amazing because when I look back, I only started playing golf when I was 11,” Grace said. “I don’t want even know what handicap I had when I was 12.
“I spoke to his coach yesterday just to learn a bit of his background, but he tells me he just seems to win all the junior events around at the moment. He’s also apparently a long hitter and looking at him, he’s quite a big kid for 12.”
RECORD OF YOUNG PLAYERS
Youngest-ever European Tour competitor
Ye Wo-cheng Aged 12 years & 242 days 2013 Volvo China Open *
(*When he tees up)
Youngest-ever to compete in a PGA Tour event.
Guan Tian-lang Aged 14 years & 168 days 2013 Masters
Youngest-ever to make the cut in a Major
Guan Tian-lang Aged 14 years & 170 days 2013 Masters
Youngest player to win a European Tour event
Matteo Manassero Aged 17 years and 188 days Castellon Masters
Michelle Wie
At age 10 the Hawaiian born Wie became the youngest winner of the US Women’s Amateur Public Links, and at age 12 the youngest to qualify for an LPGA event – Takefuji Classic.
At age 14, Wie became youngest-ever player to make the cut in an LPGA event – Kraft Nabisco.
