Liu Wenbo and Du Mohan, two of the China LPGA Tour’s rising young stars, will get the opportunity to test their mettle against the men this week when they tee it up at the Shenzhou Peninsula Open, a China Tour event in Hainan Island.

The Beijing teenagers, both of whom turned pro last year after helping the China women to team bronze at the Asian Games in Indonesia, received the invitation from the China Golf Association. The RMB700,000 tournament starts Thursday at The Dunes at Shenzhou Peninsula, a Tom Weiskopf design in Wanning. 

Liu, winner of the Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Challenge on the CLPGA Tour as an amateur in 2017, came out strong immediately after turning pro. In October, the 18-year-old tied for runner-up at the Buick LPGA Shanghai against a top international field at Shanghai Qizhong Garden Golf Club, a tournament where she briefly held a share of the lead in the final round.

This year, the towering 1.83cm Liu, daughter of former national team volleyball player Cui Yongmei, is playing full-time on the CLPGA Tour. Last month, she finished equal seventh at the Hengqin Phoenix Tree Building Orient Golf Challenge.

“I am healing from acute gastroenteritis. That forced me to withdraw from the CTBC Ladies Classic. I hope I can make the cut this week, after all, the yardage is much longer than ladies tournament,” said Liu, the individual silver medal winner at the Asian Games.

“My goal for this year is to be top 100 in the Rolex world golf ranking. In October, I will go to the US for the LPGA Q-School. I can hit my driver about 260 to 270 yards now, almost 280 if I am feeling good.”

Du, a 17-year-old originally from Fujian province, has also been impressive in her first full year in the paid ranks.  After starting the season with an equal third in Zhuhai she was equal fourth the following week at the CTBC Ladies Classic in Guangzhou.

Since then, Du, who is currently fifth on the CLPGA Tour Order of Merit, has been practising at Mission Hills in Haikou after taking a break following the Guangdong tournaments.

“I worked hard during my winter training in the U.S. and I am getting much stronger physically. My distance is getting longer by about five to 10 yards,” Du said.

“My goal for this week is to learn more from the experienced players to see how the top tier male players are handling the game, especially when their ball lies in a difficult position. I hope I can make the cut.”

If either player successfully makes the weekend rounds they will follow in the footsteps of Yang Taoli. In May 2008, the Sichuan native played against the men at the Shanghai Championship on the od Omega China Tour and finished equal 19^th. The following year she would win the inaugural CLPGA Tour Order of Merit.

After the Hainan tournament, Liu and Du will travel to Hong Kong where they will play in the US Women’s Open China sectional qualifier at Fanling, followed by the Hong Kong Ladies Open.

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