Avondale representative Linus Yip will get a taste of life on tour when he tees in the European Challenge Tour’s (ECT) Hainan Challenge next week.
Yip received an invitation to play in the co-sanctioned China Golf Tour and ECT event which begins on Thursday and is thrilled with the chance to test his game against some of the rising stars of the European Tour.
Collegiate
The 24-year-old, who majored in Finance at Seton Hall in the United States, is readying himself for a tilt at the pro ranks, and the opportunity to play in one of the ECT’s biggest events was one he wasn’t going to pass up.
“I qualify for permanent residency in Hong Kong through my parents,” Yip explained. “Through this, I get some Hong Kong Golf Association benefits, and as the event is co-sanctioned with the China Golf Tour, they hold a spot for an HKGA player, and I was selected.”
“Even though my nationality is Australian, they allow the dual alliance in Hong Kong.”
It isn’t Yip’s first foray in a professional event. He qualified for last year’s Australian Open at the Lakes.
“I qualified at Carnarvon last year. I shot three under and had to sit around all day.
Hunger Games
Despite missing the cut, Yip said the experience had made him hungrier to test his game in the pro ranks, and with a university degree under his belt, Yip is comfortable knowing he has a back-up plan in place.
“Australasian Tour Q school and PGA Tour China is the plan in the next six months.
“My mindset straight out of high school was education first, then give it all to golf once I had that plan B,” Yip said.
