[TEE PRACTICE: Singapore's Joey Poh (left) practising with Taiwan's Tseng Ya-ni at Tanah Merah Country Club
yesterday, in preparation for this week's HSBC Women's Champions tournament. (PHOTO: JAMIE KOH)]

by Chia Han Keong

SHE was a dominant figure in women's golf for almost a decade, commanding all attention in any event she participated in.

Who can emulate her sustained brilliance? Who will be the next golfer to push the bar of excellence even higher? Can anyone else shoot a round of 59 like the Swede did in 2001?

Judging from the comments by golfers participating in this week's HSBC Women's Champions tournament at Tanah Merah Country Club, they are not worried about picking up the slack.

In fact, they are more concerned about the spate of young golfers who have taken the sport by storm last year.

Three out of four women's golf Majors last year were won by golfers under 21, and all three winners - Taiwan's Tseng Ya-ni, and the Korean pair Park In Bee and Shin Ji Yai - will be eager to add the HSBC title to their trophies this week.

Park and Shin, for instance, have been lauded back in South Korea, where they are known as the "Dragon Ladies" because they were born in 1988, the year of the Dragon. They are also known as "Se Ri's kids", a reference to their trail-blazing senior, Pak Se Ri.

Said Park: 'We grew up together, trained together, and we all came of age last year. It's an exciting period for Korean women's golf.'

Tseng has also been brilliant in her rookie season, winning the LPGA Championship, racing up to world No. 2 and notching up 388 birdies, the most by a woman golfer last year.

When asked about her target this year, the Taiwanese said immediately: 'To get 488 birdies! I want to continue being a birdie machine.'

Norway's Suzann Pettersen, a relative veteran at the age of 28, was highly impressed by the youngsters.

She said: 'The young Asian players are absolutely fearless and that is why they win.

'Until recently, things were being dominated by a few experienced players like Sorenstam. The youngsters are a very positive and exciting influence on the sport. It's sure keeping us on our toes.'

Indeed, the surge of young talents has forced world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa to fine-tune her skills even in the offseason.

When the Mexican won last year's HSBC tournament in what was her first 2008 event, she said she spent her downtime relaxing on the beaches back home.

This year, however, she said: 'I made some small swing changes, worked on my putting.

'It's great that there's a whole new generation of players to challenge me. I'm really excited by that. There's always somebody who is going to give you a hard time.'

Indeed, women's golf without Sorenstam looks to be in fine shape, with loads of young talent eager to become the world's top golfer.

These youngsters have in turn inspired others to emulate them.

For example, Singapore qualifier Joey Poh, 15, practised with Tseng, one of her favourite players, yesterday.

'They are so calm on the course and they play really well,' she told The New Paper. 'I would love to play on the LPGA Tour one day.'

hankeong@sph.com.sg

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