Ye Li Ying will be looking for a successful debut in her maiden China LPGA Tour appearance when the top Chinese tees it up on Tuesday at the US$50,000 Orient Ningbo Championship in Zhejiang province.
The 30-year-old Fujian native comes into the fourth leg of the inaugural China LPGA Tour season on the back of a strong first half on the Japan LPGA Tour where she posted five top-10 finishes to sit 18th on the Order of Merit with 20,059,000 yen (US$211,035) in earnings.
"Every player should support her home tour if she has time. It's her responsibility, even if she plays overseas. The CLPGA Tour needs our support," said Ye after her practice round in heavy rain at Orient (Ningbo) Sports and Country Club on Tuesday.
"I'm free this week and happy to join the field in Ningbo. I want to enjoy my home event. I haven't seen my best friends for half a year, and missed them more than I can say. I am here to share my joy with them."
Ye, a four-time winner in China last year, demonstrated last month that she is a player to watch when she posted her best result in Japan with a runner-up finish at the Suntory Ladies Open in Kobe. Despite the strong performance, she was reluctant to predict when she would break through and win overseas.
"It's not under my control. I can't say when or where. I have to keep going and hopefully it's going to come my way. There's always intense competition in Japan. If you stop working hard you might lose your card next year. Every year many fresh faces get through at Q-School. They are hungry. It's good for the players and Tour because of the deep field.
"I believe in our (Chinese) players' capabilities. If anything, I think what they are missing is experience. The China LPGA Tour will give them the good platform they need. The China LPGA Tour is a new force in Asia. I believe it will evolve into a developed Tour like the JLPGA Tour in five to 10 years."
The Shanghai-based Ye will undoubtedly face her strongest competition this week in compatriots Yang Taoli, Yang Hongmei and Huang Pin, the respective winners of the first three China LPGA Tour events this year, a six-strong group of Thais led by Porani Chutichai, and four Australians.
Perth native Danielle Bowers will be looking to repeat a career-best performance she demonstrated last year in Shanghai when she finished equal second at the Binhai Ladies Open in the Ladies European Tour event. She will also have extra support this week from younger sister Nicole Montgomery who is also in the Ningbo field.
"Yeah, I have a lot of fond memories of China. My game is much better now so I hope that I can do well and maybe do one better," said the 24-year-old. "But definitely feeling good and hopefully it will happen again. With the course being very soft this week I'm expecting some low numbers will be posted."
(Xinhua News Agency July 29, 2009)
