Kyrgyzstan restaurant owner shares stage with China teen star Ye Wocheng in Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship
One is a 51-year-old restaurant owner from a country with less than 100 golfers, the other is a 15-year-old phenom who became the youngest player to tee up in a European Tour event.
Their paths to the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) could hardly be more different, but Kyrgyzstan's Aidarali Asanov and China's Ye Wocheng share a common bond: a love of golf.
There are no coaches - everyone who plays is self-taught, so you see a lot of hacker swings,
Central Asian nation Kyrgyzstan has just one nine-hole course and even fewer golf instructors. With his single-figure handicap, Asanov is comfortably the country's best player.
"There are no coaches - everyone who plays is self-taught, so you see a lot of hacker swings," says Asanov, who is making his second AAC appearance after playing in the 2011 edition in Singapore.
"There are around 30 locals who play. If you include expats, there are maybe 70 golfers in Kyrgyzstan," he said.
Located in the southern outskirts of Bishkek, the country's capital, the Maple Leaf Golf and Country Club is where Asanov hones his game. Established 15 years ago by a Canadian company, the course is an attractive if somewhat rudimentary parkland-style layout that lies in the shadow of the imposing Kyrgyz Aloo-Too mountain range.
"Our greens are like the tee boxes here," said Asanov, pointing to Clearwater Bay's superbly manicured 10th tee. "But we have a lot of fun."
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Ye hopes to follow in the footsteps of compatriot Guan Tianlang, who memorably claimed the 2012 AAC in Thailand before going on to become the youngest player in major championship history to make the cut at the US Masters.
"Guan and I played together in practice today and I'm learning a lot from him," said Ye, who qualified for the 2013 China Open at age 12. "Knowing that he has won this tournament before gives me confidence. He's given me a lot of advice, which I'm thankful for."
