Genevieve Ling
The China Ladies Professional Golf Association’s (CLPGA) inaugural US$100,000 Singapore Ladies Masters tees off tomorrow and Malaysia’s Genevieve Ling is looking forward to the challenge that lies ahead at the Laguna National Golf Resort Club.
The 28-year-old golfer believes strategic planning will be key to mastering the Masters Course this week. Having experienced the course for the first time during the Pro-Am event, Ling praised its quality and identified the greens as favourable for aggressive pin approaches.
Ling’s journey in professional golf has seen its fair share of obstacles. After participating in the full calendar of the China LPGA Tour in 2019, the pandemic abruptly disrupted her plans to continue playing on the tour. Reflecting on those times, she expressed, “I played decent and liked it enough to stay on tour, but COVID happened.”
Undeterred, Ling sought opportunities abroad. In 2021, she ventured to the United States, competing on the Women All-Pro Tour for six months and participating in 10 events, achieving a top-five finish in one of them. Subsequently, Ling played on the Ladies European Tour the previous year, where she faced fierce competition, with her highest placement being 26th in the Skafto Open in Sweden.
With the CLPGA resuming its activities this year with the Beijing event, Ling decided to concentrate her efforts in Asia, playing across three tours: CLPGA, Taiwan, and Thailand. Regarding her decision, Ling explained, “I have playing status in these three tours, so this year, I have decided to stay in Asia.” Beginning her year on the South African Sunshine Tour, Ling intends to participate in at least 30 events across these circuits.
Having recently secured a second-place finish in the Vios Cup at Templer Park Country Club, Ling has demonstrated consistent form this year, making the cut in 12 tournaments. The Singapore Ladies Masters marks her 16th event of the year, and she will be eager to play well and achieve a strong finish in this tournament.
Joining Ling in the 54-hole competition are two other Malaysian contenders, Aretha Pan and Lana Aswadi.
The Trust Golf Singapore Ladies Masters is the fifth leg of the 2023 CLPGA season after stops in Tianjin, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangdong. The top 60 professional players (including ties) in the first two rounds will advance to the final round on Saturday.
