Hong Kong golfer Sophie Han’s plan to secure an NCAA scholarship under threat as Covid-19 continues to sweep globe
- The 14-year-old star wants to go to the United States for tournaments this summer to catch the eye of coaches
- Born in Hong Kong but raised in Guangzhou, Han is ninth in China’s amateur rankings and was the youngest player at the National Games in Shaanxi
Hong Kong golfer Sophie Han is ready to pursue her sporting dreams, but the coronavirus pandemic could end up derailing her future career.
The 14-year-old is widely considered one of the brightest future stars for Hong Kong, and wants to earn a scholarship to a division one US college so she can play in the NCAA events and improve even further.
Last week, the youngster finished in a tie for fourth with a score of 291 at the China Amateur Open series grand final in Zhaoqing, Guangdong, 10 strokes behind champion Yan Xiaowen, one of the top amateurs in the country.
Han has always focused on becoming better by playing against the seniors. At the National Games in Shaanxi this summer, she was the youngest golf representative but finished a creditable 14th place for Hong Kong.
“The coming summer will be crucial if I want to obtain a scholarship,” said the grade 11 student at Meisha Academy by Haileybury in Tianhe, Guangzhou. “Many of the university team coaches will be scouting talents at competitions during the summer holidays, but the pandemic will make it difficult for me to travel overseas to play.
“I have no idea when the pandemic will stop so that normal air travel can resume. At the moment, I have to focus on mainland tournaments and try to get a better ranking. They may still offer me a scholarship by checking my results in China and hopefully there can be some good news.”
Despite her age, Han, would not rule out the possibility of trying to play on the LPGA Tour in the future, just like compatriot Tiffany Chan. Her immediate target though is to get into a top-flight US college to test herself against some of the best in the world.
“It all depends if you can start in the NCAA and how you perform if you can,” Han said. “After all, it is also important whether you still have the passion in golf. It’s a bit early to talk about the LPGA but that will be my dream.”