Twelve year-old Chinese schoolboy Ye Wo-cheng will take his place in European Tour history when he competes in the Volvo China Open in May. Ye, from Dongguan on China&aposs South East Coast, will become the youngest player to tee off in a European Tour event after he secured one of the three qualifying spots at the Western Qualifier in Chengdu on Wednesday. His age will trump Asia-Pacific Amateur champion Guan Tian-lang, who qualified for last year s Volvo China Open aged 13 years and 173 days. I couldn’t have got off to a much better start, he said. I actually slept very well last night, so I was really looking forward to the round. My dad told me to just relax and enjoy it, but it was actually quite a nerve-wracking day, he tolf the European Tour. Despite dropping shots after the turn, including a triple bogey at the 16th after he was penalised two strokes for accidentally dislodging a tree leaf on his backswing, Ye comfortably qualified on two under par. Playing in a European Tour event will be a whole new experience for me so I ll be practicing very hard for Tianjin, said Ye. I will also be doing some gym work to get stronger, as I ve heard that Binhai Lake is a long golf course. Coach David Watson was on hand to see his student achieve what he had set out to do more than 12 months ago. It was only a matter of time before he landed a really big one like this, said the Guangdong-based Briton. He’s been shooting in the 60s regularly over the past few months, so I am not surprised at all to see him qualify for the Volvo China Open. I could not be more proud of him.
Author: Golf Australia / Agencies