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Major-caliber junior tourney a stepping stone for Chinese talent

By Sun Xiaochen | chinadaily.com.cn | Updated: 2025-12-20 21:32
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A total of six young Chinese golfers have earned exemption spots into the 2026 Rolex Tournament of Champions by performing well at the Rolex Junior Championship. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

With the grit and talent of China's next generation demonstrated on a major-caliber stage, the Rolex Junior Championship, the country's highest-level junior golf tournament, has capped off its 2025 edition in great success.

Cheered on by their major-winning role model Yin Ruoning, China's up-and-coming teen prodigies put their mettle and skills through intense tests during the championships held from Tuesday to Thursday at the Mission Hills Golf Club's World Cup course in Shenzhen, Guangdong province.

As the only super level-1 junior event on the 2025 calendar, the year-ending Rolex Junior Championship attracted future stars from across the country, including a strong field of National Junior Team players, to compete in a format of three-round stroke play in two age categories — the Group A (aged 16-18) and Group B (aged 13-15) — at the renowned course designed by golf legend Jack Nicklaus.

After both signing off the final round on Thursday with a total 12-under-par 204, national junior team members Gu Liangliang and Wang Xinyu captured the Boys' and Girls' Group A titles respectively.

Xu Chengrui mounted an impressive final-round comeback to capture the Boys' Group B crown, finishing at 210, while Lin Yuqian, also a national junior team selectee, secured a commanding six-shot victory to capture the Girls' Group B title.

The four winners, plus the boys' and girls' Group A runners-up, also earned six exemption spots into the 2026 Rolex Tournament of Champions, the American Junior Golf Association's (AJGA) flagship event.

Facing a surging opponent in Wang Haoyi, who opened his Thursday actions with five consecutive birdies, Gu stepped up his game as well, completing four birdies in a row beginning at hole 11, and clinched the win with a mere one-shot edge to beat Wang in a back-and-forth battle in Boys' Group A.

China's major golf winner Yin Ruoning, an LPGA star, shares her thoughts with young golfers at the award ceremony after the final round of the Rolex Junior Championship at Shenzhen's Mission Hills Golf Club on Thursday. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

"Haoyi is a very strong competitor, and his run of five birdies definitely put a lot of pressure on me," Gu said after his close win. "However, I didn't want to give up. I still wanted to give it everything I had."

"Over the past two years, I've finished just short of the title several times, so it means a lot to finally break through and win a super level-1 event like this. I also want to tell all junior players that perseverance truly pays off," the 16-year-old Jiangsu native said.

The Girls' Group A final round saw Wang deliver another highly efficient performance, following her strong first two rounds, to card 68 with seven birdies and no bogeys — securing a flawless wire-to-wire victory with a three-round total of 204.

"Honestly, my front nine wasn't at my best today," Wang said. "Starting with the lead did make me a little nervous, but holing an eight-yard birdie putt on the 17th hole before the turn helped me regain my confidence and I was able to settle back into my rhythm quickly."

"I'm really happy to secure the victory in the final event of my season, and I sincerely appreciate the organizers for providing such a valuable opportunity for junior players."

All the winners have each earned 1,250 junior ranking points, 1.25 times the offering at a standard tier-1 event.

The commanding performances of young golfers, particularly members of the national junior team, have highlighted their maturing game and toughened mentality, underscoring the promising future of Chinese golf.

China's LPGA star and Rolex brand ambassador Yin, who was invited to share her thoughts with her younger fellows at the tournament's award ceremony, credited the Rolex Junior Championship for helping build a valuable stepping stone for young talents to grow.

"From a world-class course to major-championship-level operational execution, the 2025 Rolex Junior Championship gives young players the chance to experience the highest standards of golf from an early age," Yin, who won her career first major title at the 2023 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, said.

"It is a valuable opportunity to build a champion's mindset, compete alongside top players from China and around the world, and build true confidence in high-pressure environments," Yin said.

He Fengxiang, chairman of China Golf Association, emphasized in his closing remarks during the ceremony that the championship was not only a test of junior competitive standards, but also a critical component of the Chinese national junior team development pathway.

Zhao continues his meteoric rise, smashes another recordIn barely the blink of an eye, 16-year-old Chinese climber Zhao Yicheng had already slammed the buzzer — and rewritten the world record yet again. At the World Climbing Series Wujiang 2026 on Sunday night, Zhao stormed to victory in the men's speed event with a time of 4.54 seconds, breaking his own world record for the second time in a month and defeating former record holder Samuel Watson of the United States in a much-anticipated semifinal showdown. For the climbing world, it was more than a race. It was a direct duel between two of the sport's brightest young stars. Watson, born in 2006, emerged during the Paris Olympic cycle as one of speed climbing's defining talents, becoming the first athlete to push the discipline into the "4.70-second era". Yet since the Paris Games, global attention has increasingly shifted toward Zhao, his younger Chinese counterpart, who has already claimed three world youth titles and repeatedly produced times faster than previous world records. Just weeks before arriving in Wujiang, Jiangsu province, Zhao had lowered Watson's mark to 4.58 seconds at the Asian Beach Games. In Wujiang, he went even faster. Once the starting signal sounded, both climbers exploded up the wall almost simultaneously. Zhao produced the fastest reaction time of the day and maintained his advantage throughout the climb, stopping the clock at 4.54 seconds. Yet Zhao insisted afterward that the climb was far from perfect. "I think everyone performed at a high level in this competition, but my performance was definitely not perfect," he said. "I still saw a lot of details I can improve upon, and I feel I can climb even faster in the future." Despite being labeled a "genius" by many observers, Zhao credited both talent and hard work for his rise. "I have to admit that I do have talent, because talent makes my hard work more effective," he said. "But I also don't think I work any less hard than others. Talent gives me a higher starting point, while hard work allows me to go further." The teenager said elite competition motivates rather than intimidates him. "Honestly, without him, I probably wouldn't have climbed such a fast time today," Zhao said of Watson."I didn't feel pressure facing him -more motivation than anything." That motivation was evident in his explosive semifinal start, where Zhao recorded the quickest reaction time of the day. "My opponents don't actually affect me that much personally. I focus more on myself," he said."Before competitions, I usually listen to music to help myself relax and get into the rhythm of the event." Adding another layer of significance, Zhao's breakthrough performance came in his hometown of Suzhou, Jiangsu province. For years, he had attended the Wujiang event as a spectator. On Sunday night, he stood center stage as champion. "From being a spectator to becoming an athlete, I've been watching the Wujiang competition for three or four straight years," Zhao said. "Last year, I was already looking forward to doing something on this stage. "But, today, I actually felt more relaxed. Maybe people outside have certain expectations of me, but I think the enthusiasm of the crowd allowed me to completely be myself." Watson, who eventually took bronze, also offered glowing praise for the Chinese teenager. "He is undoubtedly the most talented speed climber I've ever seen," the 20-year-old American said. "I knew I had to give 100 percent against him." Watson revealed that the two climbers had already become familiar with each other and even chatted about basketball beside the podium before the medal ceremony. Chinese climber Long Jianguo claimed silver in the men's speed competition. Wujiang in limelight Beyond the headline duel, the Wujiang leg highlighted broader changes reshaping competitive climbing ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where speed, lead and boulder will each become standalone medal events. Specialization is accelerating across the sport, with athletes pushing single-discipline performances to new extremes. In Wujiang, the overall standard in speed climbing rose dramatically. The men's cutoff time to reach the finals improved from 5.07 seconds at last year's world championships to 4.94 seconds, while the women's mark improved from 7.18 to 6.67 seconds. The sport is also becoming an increasingly youthful pursuit. China's entire lead climbing squad at the event consisted of athletes born after 2000, with the oldest only 25 years old. Eighteen-year-old Chinese climber Hu Junzhe advanced to the semifinals in the lead discipline after an impressive qualification performance. Meanwhile, Wujiang continues to strengthen its status as one of China's climbing strongholds. Since first hosting the event in 2013, the city has staged the international competition 11 times. This year's event again embraced the "Climbing+" model, combining competition with tourism, cultural activities, local markets and outdoor experiences as part of a broader push to integrate sports, culture and regional development. From a once niche pursuit to an Olympic discipline constantly redefining human limits, climbing's rapid rise in China has unfolded alongside Wujiang's transformation into one of the sport's key hubs.

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Zhao continues his meteoric rise, smashes another recordIn barely the blink of an eye, 16-year-old Chinese climber Zhao Yicheng had already slammed the buzzer — and rewritten the world record yet again. At the World Climbing Series Wujiang 2026 on Sunday night, Zhao stormed to victory in the men's speed event with a time of 4.54 seconds, breaking his own world record for the second time in a month and defeating former record holder Samuel Watson of the United States in a much-anticipated semifinal showdown. For the climbing world, it was more than a race. It was a direct duel between two of the sport's brightest young stars. Watson, born in 2006, emerged during the Paris Olympic cycle as one of speed climbing's defining talents, becoming the first athlete to push the discipline into the "4.70-second era". Yet since the Paris Games, global attention has increasingly shifted toward Zhao, his younger Chinese counterpart, who has already claimed three world youth titles and repeatedly produced times faster than previous world records. Just weeks before arriving in Wujiang, Jiangsu province, Zhao had lowered Watson's mark to 4.58 seconds at the Asian Beach Games. In Wujiang, he went even faster. Once the starting signal sounded, both climbers exploded up the wall almost simultaneously. Zhao produced the fastest reaction time of the day and maintained his advantage throughout the climb, stopping the clock at 4.54 seconds. Yet Zhao insisted afterward that the climb was far from perfect. "I think everyone performed at a high level in this competition, but my performance was definitely not perfect," he said. "I still saw a lot of details I can improve upon, and I feel I can climb even faster in the future." Despite being labeled a "genius" by many observers, Zhao credited both talent and hard work for his rise. "I have to admit that I do have talent, because talent makes my hard work more effective," he said. "But I also don't think I work any less hard than others. Talent gives me a higher starting point, while hard work allows me to go further." The teenager said elite competition motivates rather than intimidates him. "Honestly, without him, I probably wouldn't have climbed such a fast time today," Zhao said of Watson."I didn't feel pressure facing him -more motivation than anything." That motivation was evident in his explosive semifinal start, where Zhao recorded the quickest reaction time of the day. "My opponents don't actually affect me that much personally. I focus more on myself," he said."Before competitions, I usually listen to music to help myself relax and get into the rhythm of the event." Adding another layer of significance, Zhao's breakthrough performance came in his hometown of Suzhou, Jiangsu province. For years, he had attended the Wujiang event as a spectator. On Sunday night, he stood center stage as champion. "From being a spectator to becoming an athlete, I've been watching the Wujiang competition for three or four straight years," Zhao said. "Last year, I was already looking forward to doing something on this stage. "But, today, I actually felt more relaxed. Maybe people outside have certain expectations of me, but I think the enthusiasm of the crowd allowed me to completely be myself." Watson, who eventually took bronze, also offered glowing praise for the Chinese teenager. "He is undoubtedly the most talented speed climber I've ever seen," the 20-year-old American said. "I knew I had to give 100 percent against him." Watson revealed that the two climbers had already become familiar with each other and even chatted about basketball beside the podium before the medal ceremony. Chinese climber Long Jianguo claimed silver in the men's speed competition. Wujiang in limelight Beyond the headline duel, the Wujiang leg highlighted broader changes reshaping competitive climbing ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, where speed, lead and boulder will each become standalone medal events. Specialization is accelerating across the sport, with athletes pushing single-discipline performances to new extremes. In Wujiang, the overall standard in speed climbing rose dramatically. The men's cutoff time to reach the finals improved from 5.07 seconds at last year's world championships to 4.94 seconds, while the women's mark improved from 7.18 to 6.67 seconds. The sport is also becoming an increasingly youthful pursuit. China's entire lead climbing squad at the event consisted of athletes born after 2000, with the oldest only 25 years old. Eighteen-year-old Chinese climber Hu Junzhe advanced to the semifinals in the lead discipline after an impressive qualification performance. Meanwhile, Wujiang continues to strengthen its status as one of China's climbing strongholds. Since first hosting the event in 2013, the city has staged the international competition 11 times. This year's event again embraced the "Climbing+" model, combining competition with tourism, cultural activities, local markets and outdoor experiences as part of a broader push to integrate sports, culture and regional development. From a once niche pursuit to an Olympic discipline constantly redefining human limits, climbing's rapid rise in China has unfolded alongside Wujiang's transformation into one of the sport's key hubs.
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