(June 24, Beijing) As one of the highest-paying regular events on the China LPGA Tour in 2024 with a total purse of 1 million yuan, the China R&A Ladies Elite Match may also prove to be the biggest challenge the players face in the first half of the year.
Cai Danlin
The Golden Bear Course at the Huarun Ecological Park is set up at 6,512 yards, par 72 this week, with three out of four par-5s measuring over 500 yards and four out of ten par-4s exceeding 400 yards. Cai Danlin, who practiced nine holes on Monday, already felt the strain.
“The scenery on the course is very beautiful, and the fairways, tees, and greens are all well-maintained like a carpet, with excellent turf quality,” Cai Danlin said. “My main challenge on this course is distance. I’ve played nine holes, and I had to use a wood on either five or six holes to attack the green.”
“As for challenges, it seems that every hole presents a significant test, especially the front nine with three par-4s over 400 yards. They all seem quite challenging, requiring caution, or else there could be trouble.”
“I’ve played some courses around 6,400 to 6,500 yards before, but none have been as demanding as this one.”
Except for the Blue Bay Masters, none of the other China LPGA venues this year exceeded 6,500 yards. For example, the previous event, the Singapore Ladies Masters, was 6,477 yards, followed by the Tianjin Ladies Open at 6,411 yards, the Beijing Ladies Challenge at 6,483 yards, and the Guangdong Ladies Open at 6,460 yards. In fact, the Blue Bay Masters measured 6,567 yards and 6,521 yards in the first two rounds, with the weekend shortened to 6,350 yards and 6,472 yards.
The Golden Bear Course’s setup naturally favors long hitters on tour, such as Liu Wenbo and Pan Yanhong.
“This week’s distance is quite lengthy, with several par-4s and par-3s being quite far, but the course offers a lot of forgiveness off the tee, which suits me well,” said Liu Wenbo, who finished third at the Tianjin Ladies Open. “I think approach shots to the green and putting will be key this week.”
Pan Yanhong has seen a slight decrease in distance since becoming a mother, but she still holds an advantage on tour. She narrowly missed lifting the trophy last month at the Beijing Ladies Challenge, losing in a playoff to Ren Yijia. “I think my strategy will be more conservative because it’s a new course, and it’s quite long,” Pan Yanhong said. “Everything here feels fresh, so I’ll be more cautious when attacking each hole.”
Although unfamiliar with the Golden Bear Course, Pan Yanhong, Liu Wenbo, and even Cai Danlin are no strangers to Huarun Ecological Park. Pan Yanhong and Liu Wenbo have participated in the same-named event, the China R&A Ladies Elite Match, held on another course, the Nicklaus Course. Cai Danlin watched the American LPGA event on television a few years ago, particularly remembering Feng Shanshan’s miraculous winning shot in 2013.
Undoubtedly, she hopes to emulate her hero Feng Shanshan and secure a victory at Huarun Ecological Park, especially after the disappointment of the Singapore Ladies Masters eight days ago, where she lost to Pang Runzhi by one stroke.
“Every tournament brings a new challenge and a fresh opportunity, and I should approach all competitions with a positive mindset,” Cai Danlin said. “In Singapore, I relaxed mentally in the final few holes and kind of gave up, as I had reached my limits physically and mentally. After the tournament, I realized that I lacked stamina, but more importantly, I shouldn’t surrender mentally.”
“For this event, I hope to be true to myself, as the course presents a certain level of challenge. Whether it’s the distance or the greens’ surrounds, they’re all quite difficult. There are many bunkers around the greens, almost every green, and the greens are quite sloped, making approach shots quite challenging.”
The China LPGA 2024 season began with the Blue Bay Masters in March, traveling from south to north, producing five new champions, none of whom had previously won. Will the China R&A Ladies Elite Match be different? If the trend of new champions continues, could Cai Danlin be the one to continue it? The answer will unfold only on Sunday.
Photographers: Liu Zhuang, Wang Liming