bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Noel Prentice

A teen prodigy one day, a teen phenom the next. That’s China’s Du Mohan, who announced herself on the Asian golf scene on Saturday when she cruised to a five-shot lead at the US$150,000 EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open.
The 17-year-old Beijing native showed her first-round five-under-par 67 was no fluke by matching that score and turning heads at Hong Kong Golf Club.
Seasoned male pros had already earmarked Du as one to watch and she lived up to expectations, overshadowing some of the best players in the region, including Hong Kong’s golden girl Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching.
Chan struggled with a sore back and will start the final day on Sunday nine shots behind.

Du charmed everyone with her polite and friendly demeanour, just going about her business of hitting fairways and greens and making birdies.
Refreshingly, the game is still fun for this carefree spirit and a poor or unlucky shot is met with a smile and a shrug.
“If I play a bad shot I think ‘OK, I’ll take this’ and just move on. I had to learn [to be patient] and just wait for the good shots.”

Du turned pro last September after last year’s Asian Games in Jakarta where she helped the women’s team to a bronze medal. She also lead the individual standings after two rounds but then faltered.
“I have won junior and amateur tournaments but I’ve never won a professional tournament. I turned pro at 16 after the Asian Games – it was my decision. My parents support me very well,” she said.
Du had a one-shot lead after the first round and was even more surprised to have a five-shot cushion
after yesterday’s second round.

“I expected to even-par every hole but I did a great job and played very well with my putting today, especially my distance control. I’m a little bit surprised to have a five-shot lead.
“I feel technically and mentally I’m getting stronger so I hope I can keep doing exactly the same thing as these last two days,” she said.
Asked about her plan for Sunday, the teenager who speaks perfect English joked: “Fairways and greens – easy!”
Hong Kong star Tiffany Chan hoping to be a cut above her rivals after LPGA Tour struggles
Chasing Du is compatriot Zhang Weiwei and Korea’s Seo Ji-hyun at five under, with Liu Wenbo and Ren Yue of China and Taiwan’s Wu Chih-yun at four under.
“Five shots is a big lead, but you can make many birdies around this course and shoot a very low score, Zhang said. “I have already had one win [on the China LPGA Tour in 2017] which could be to my advantage.”
Liu, a friend of Du’s and a teammate at the Asian Games, said she would be trying pressure Du as early as possible.
“I like my position,” she said. “I always like to play in the penultimate group because I can play carefree golf and be really aggressive.”

Chan, meanwhile, will have to go very low – “probably 10 under” – to have any chance of winning. She put on a brave face after a one-over 73 and was seeking out a physio to work on her troublesome back.
“I took three pills this morning but it didn’t really help. I tried my best. I could not swing at 100 per cent and I think I did pretty well,” she said.
Chan played on the US LPGA Tour in San Francisco last Thursday and Friday, won the US Open qualifier in Hawaii on Monday and then arrived in Hong Kong in time for the pro-am on Thursday.


Thirteen-year-old golfer Arianna Lau out to follow idol Tiffany Chan’s LPGA Tour and Olympic footsteps as she sets world No 1 blueprints

Coronavirus: Hong Kong golfers scramble to play again after clubs given go-ahead to reopen

Hong Kong golfer Tiffany Chan spends 14 days alone in her room, working out and waiting for LPGA Tour to restart

Hong Kong Ladies Open moved to May because of the coronavirus outbreak, say organisers

Hong Kong Ladies Open

China teen phenom Du Mohan turns heads – and the screws – at Hong Kong Ladies Open

China’s Du Mohan on her way to a five-shot lead at the EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open: Photos: Hong Kong Golf Club

Tiffany Chan of Hong Kong competes during the second round of the EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club Old Course on May 11, 2019 in Hong Kong. Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong / Eurasia Sport Images

Du Mohan of China competes during the second round of the EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club Old Course on May 11, 2019 in Hong Kong. Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong / Eurasia Sport Images

Mohan Du.

China’s teen prodigy Du Mohan leads after opening round of Hong Kong Ladies Open; Tiffany Chan three off the pace

China’s Du Mohan plays a shot during the first round of the EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open. Photo: Eurasia Sport Images

Tiffany Chan plays at the Ladies Open held at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Sheung Shui. 10MAY19 SCMP / Jonathan Wong

Zhang Weiwei of China competes during the first round of the EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open at the Hong Kong Golf Club Old Course on May 10, 2019 in Hong Kong. Photo by Yu Chun Christopher Wong / Eurasia Sport Images

Isabella Leung on day one of the Hong Kong Ladies Open.

LPGA Tour: Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan hoping her love affair brings titles – and an Olympic gold

Tiffany Chan making her historic appearance at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Photo: AFP

Tiffany Chan of Hong Kong SAR in act during match day 2 of EFG Hong Kong Ladies Open 2018 at Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, New Territories,, Hong Kong, on 12 May 2018, China. Photo by : Ike Li / Ike Images

Tiffany Chan at the EFG Bank Hong Kong Young Athletes Foundation Charity Golf Day at Hong Kong Golf Club. Photo: Ike Li

Sport

Golf

Hong Kong

The 17-year-old shows she is the real deal as she takes a five-shot lead into the final round at Hong Kong Golf Club
Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan struggles with a sore back and is nine shots adrift


The 17-year-old creates a big impression as she takes a five-shot lead into the final round at Hong Kong Golf Club.


Tiffany Chan Tsz-ching

China teen phenom Du Mohan turns heads – and the screws – at Hong Kong Ladies Open

The 17-year-old shows she is the real deal as she takes a five-shot lead into the final round at Hong Kong Golf Club Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan struggles with a sore back and is nine shots adrift

The 17-year-old shows she is the real deal as she takes a five-shot lead into the final round at Hong Kong Golf Club

Hong Kong’s Tiffany Chan struggles with a sore back and is nine shots adrift