2 minutes with...
Golf legend Hsieh Min-nan, 64, is currently at Mission Hills Golf Club, trying to coax his Asian team to a second victory at the Visa Dynasty Cup. The Taiwanese is non-playing captain of a talented Asian team, who are locked in battle with Japan in the prestigious tournament, which ends today. Hsieh became a professional in 1964 and has played against some of the biggest names in golf in a distinguished career.
Why are you called the '3-12' golfer back home and how did you get that unusual name?
Everybody has different nicknames. Jack Nicklaus is called the Golden Bear. I got mine after winning three straight events in Japan. I won the Tokai Classic, Golf Digest Cup and Bridgestone Open and I was always on top of the leadership board in 12 rounds. It was a feat in those days. I don't even think Tiger Woods has won three tournaments on the bounce. The name stuck.
When you played as a professional after winning the Eisenhower Trophy in Rome in 1964, you played with several legends of the game. What was it like to play with Lee Trevino, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus?
'I learned a lot by playing alongside those guys. I couldn't speak much English so I couldn't communicate with them. But it was indeed an honour to play against them. They were all great professional players and I learned about tempo and temperament. I learned much about the game through these players.
What are the other highlights of your career?
I won a total of 48 titles and won the World Cup with Lu Liang-huan in 1972. I also won gold medals in the Asian Games. Winning the Dynasty Cup two years ago was also memorable for me because we were not expected to beat Japan.
How do you see Asian golf developing in the future?
The Dynasty Cup is a great competition and I see it growing in the future. I hope this event will continue even if I am not captain anymore. I want to see this event growing from strength to strength. It's only the second edition of it, but it has already created so much interest. I'd like to see Asian golf develop even further. The future is bright.
