Greg Norman on China’s golf sport: massive opportunities ahead

Greg Norman is a former world No. 1 in golf. He recently became an advisory coach to China national golf team. He was interviewed earlier this month about his coaching life in China and thoughts about the Chinese golf team. He thinks that China’s golf has a large developing space for a coming generation. Below is an abridged edition of the interview. 

“Some of them are really bright‑eyed and very open‑minded, and some are very emotionally bound up … There are a lot of expectations heaped on them.”

So for me it has been a lot of fun. Some of them are really bright‑eyed and very open‑minded, and some are very emotionally bound up because, quite honestly, they haven’t had a lot of good, open guidance and discussion.

For me it has been very cathartic in a lot of ways, because you actually give a lot and you actually pull out a lot from your experiences and what I’ve learned from my mistakes, travel, cultural changes, expectations within yourself, media and stuff like that.

And not only that, but also playing for your country, because they are a fiercely proud group and they want to represent China; be the first in golf to represent their nation [at the Olympics]. There are a lot of expectations heaped on them in other ways, too.

How are the players? 

I had three really good young girls here in Haikou that I looked at. Also, I went to Orlando when there was US Open qualifying, as there were probably half-a-dozen of them there, and I went up and walked around with them during a practice round.

There’s a lot of talent. It’s just a matter of they have to believe in it and then they have to get world ranking points. From the women’s side, they have got it covered. I think they have got one in the top 10 (Feng Shanshan) and Lin Xiyu, so from the women’s side, they will be in it (the Olympics).

The men’s side is where they have got to get out, get some world ranking points, and they have the capability of doing it. It’s just a matter of believing in yourself that you can go do it.

“You’ve got to have a really great grassroots programme.”

And then we’ve got to look into the future. You’ve got to look out into 2020 and beyond, so how do you do that? So you’ve got to have a really great grassroots programme. These kids are probably seven, eight, nine, 10 right now, looking out 12 years, so they’re going to be 22 and ready to go. That’s a programme you’ve really got to instil in the CGA (China Golf Association) to really reach down to these kids and give them great facilities and opportunities to bring them up.

Do you think Chinese golf has a strong future?

I think the Chinese as a nation, as a culture, as a people, can adapt to golf probably as quickly as any other nation because they have got the cerebral skills. They have got the physical skills. They have got the aerobic skills and then they are really good on their balance and their rotation of their body. So they have a lot of the attributes that you need for golf. It’s just a matter of time and just putting all the right ingredients in there to start spitting them out on a regular basis.

Golf opportunities for China: massive 

I would be very proud if they do put up a men’s team and a women’s team (beyond 2016). I would be really proud of them if they can do that. But to be honest, they haven’t been around the golf course that long. The first golf course in China was built in 1984, so it’s not that long in the game. So when you think about the opportunities ahead, maybe a generation from now, it’s massive, massive opportunities for this country.