Rising Taiwan golf star Pan Cheng-tsung heads to Macau after taking Canada by storm
Having quickly made a name for himself on the Canadian tour, Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung will test himself against the best in Asia at the US$1 million Venetian Macao Open next month.
Having quickly made a name for himself on the Canadian tour, Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung will test himself against the best in Asia at the US$1 million Venetian Macao Open next month.
Pan beat highly rated Swede Robert Karlsson by two shots in the Players Cup on the PGA Tour Canada in July, only a month after turning pro.
Being among the world-class field in Macau is exactly what I need to keep improving
The 23-year-old, who spent eight weeks in 2013 as the world’s top-ranked amateur, has been granted a sponsor’s exemption to compete at the Macau Golf and Country Club from October 15 to 18.
“It has been a steep, but positive, learning curve since I turned professional a couple of months ago,” said Pan, a graduate of the University of Washington. “The amateur scene is very tough, but this is a different world altogether in terms of the intensity, level of play, and concentration that is required.
“Getting to number one on the amateur rankings was a huge achievement and it will be a dream come true if I can reach number one in the professional rankings, too. I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself, but I will work as hard as I can to get there.
“While practice can make perfect, nothing beats playing against the best professional players in the world in a competitive environment. Being among the world-class field in Macau is exactly what I need to keep improving. I am very thankful to be granted a sponsor’s invite and I hope I make the most out of it.”