Chinese golfers flop on their own ‘gateway to PGA Tour’ as highest finisher stumbles to 12th place

A bad year on the China-specific tour sees no mainland players even make the top 10 in the order of merit

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New Zealand’s Nick Voke celebrates victory at Clearwater Bay Open. Photo: PGA Tour Series-China

Published: 4:24pm, 16 Oct 2018Updated: 10:33am, 17 Oct 2018

When the PGA Tour Series-China reached its climax at the weekend, the five top money-winners earned cards for America’s Web.com Tour, one rung below the elite PGA Tour.

There was just one hiccup – none of the top five, or even the top 10, was from China.

It is the first time in four seasons of the PGA Tour Series-China – hailed by former tour commissioner Tim Finchem “as a pathway to the PGA Tour for Chinese golfers” when it was created – that no Chinese player has made the top five.

Instead, Englishman Callum Tarren, American Charlie Saxon and New Zealander Chris Voke get their chance in America, along with fourth-placed Yuwa Kosaihira of Japan and South Korea’s Todd Baek.

“We’re here to grow the game of golf in China. It just hasn’t been the best of years for Chinese players,” admitted Greg Carlson, executive director of the PGA Tour China.

“We always want to see Chinese players play well and advance onto the Web.com tour,” he said in Hong Kong, where the 14-stop season wrapped up at the Clearwater Bay Open.

“It just didn’t work out this year with some of the Chinese players getting inside that top 10.”

Cao Li in 12th place was the leading Chinese player on the money list.