WHEN Liu Xiao Yan is not 'working', she likes to spend her time on her powerboat, sailing to the neighbouring islands.

If the weather prohibits her from sailing, Liu will be chilling out at the cafes and lounge of Sentosa Cove's One Degree 15 Marina Club where she is a member.

Liu also owns a Honda Stream which she drives to work.

And for Liu, work means playing golf.

After all, the 30-year-old is Singapore's only professional woman golfer who is trying to make a living from playing in tournaments.

Liu may seem like she is living the high life - owning a 30-metre powerboat, club membership, car and just playing golf every day.

But the Chinese-turned-Singaporean citizen told The New Paper that life is tough as a professional golfer in Singapore.

A golfing career is like running your own business, said Liu who took her first golf swing under the tutelage of local coach Tendy Tsai, in 2005.

Like an entrepreneur, Liu is constantly trying to find ways to reduce her costs and has to work very hard in order to reap profits.

Said Liu: 'When I travel overseas for tournaments, I always try to find another player to share the cost of the hotel room with me.

'I usually travel on budget and low-cost airlines and try to keep my travelling expenses to below $1,500 for each trip.'

Last year, Liu played in four legs of the Ladies Asian Golf Tour (LAGT) and five events of the Singha Women's Golf Tour in Thailand.

On two occasions, she finished within the top 50 and managed to win prize money accumulating US$1,200 ($1,800).

Although Liu does not have a sponsor, she sometimes manages to get free accommodation from the event organisers.

Her other sponsor is of course her single mother whom she lives with, in a five-room HDB flat.

Quit

In 2006, Liu quit her job as an accountant to focus on golfing. She also helped her mother set up the Tian Xia Di Yi Shuan steamboat and Chinese restaurant chain which has six outlets today.

It was only last year that Liu started playing on the Asian Tour.

'I don't really earn big bucks playing. But the LAGT gives me the exposure and experience that I need to take me to the next level,' said Liu who was born in Sichuan and came here to study when she was 13.

'I am targeting top-10 finishes in the LAGT in five years' time.'

As a struggling sportswoman without a sponsor, Liu has to pay for her own green fees, tournament fees and travelling expenses.

At the start of each year, she would decide which are the tournaments that she wants to play in and can afford for the year.

Then one month before the tournament, Liu would go online to register herself, purchase her air-ticket and make her hotel reservations.

Liu usually travels alone without a coach and does all her planning on the flight since she does not have the luxury of in-flight entertainment on the low-cost carriers that she takes.

Once she reaches her destination, she would spend all her time on the course, planning her strategy and familiarising herself with the course.

By the end of the day, Liu would be too tired to do any sightseeing. She usually sleeps early so that she can feel fresh for the next day's practice.

Liu, who is used to Chinese food, would also pack her own instant cup noodles and bottled water when she travels to overseas tournaments.

'I started bringing my own food after some players were hospitalised for food poisoning at the Ladies Asian Tour in India last year,' said Liu who also fell sick for three months after she returned from the trip.

'Since I pay for my own travelling costs, I cannot afford to fall sick and not play in the tournament. So better be safe than sorry.'

Even though Liu aims to play in at least one to two tournaments each month, her participation is dependent on her fitness level.

And as the only professional woman golfer in Singapore, Liu, is inevitably the most watched.

Fever

Especially when she failed to perform earlier this year at the HSBC Women's Champions two-day qualifier.

On the first day, Liu was having a fever hitting 39 degrees Celsius.

'I was suffering from food poisoning and the doctor who attended to me had told me not to play but I insisted on carrying on,' recalled Liu who averages 240 metres off the tee.

'On the second day, my temperature rose to 40 degrees. Right after the event, I was rushed to hospital and was warded for the rest of the day.

'I only went home at night after the doctor gave me a jab to lower my temperature.'

Three days later, Liu was off to play in the LAGT's first stop in Bangkok.

Liu spent a week in Bangkok then headed to New Delhi in India for another five days before she returned to Singapore.

Liu plans to take part in at least three Singha tournaments and the LAGT in Shanghai before the end of this year.

LIU'S LAGT BALANCE SHEET