The Last Farmer Golfer

by+Yang+Lin+and+Jiang+Man

Zhou Xunshu climbed from farmer to middle class through golf. His story mirrors the development of golf in China. However， as time passes， opportunities for such “blue-collar golfers”will disappear and be replaced by “l(fā)ittle future Tiger Woods.”

Zhou Xunshu was born in 1972 to a farmers family in Bijie County， Guizhou Province. Like most farmers seeking jobs in urban areas three decades ago， Zhou engaged in a variety of professions ranging from security guard and food stand operator to other short-term jobs.

Zhou was introduced to golf by chance at age 25， and it forever changed his fate： He eventually became one of the first professional golfers in China. His legend was recently recorded in a book by Ameri- can writer Dan Washburn， The Forbidden Game： Golf and the Chinese Dream.

Blue-Collar Birdie

In 1995， 23-year-old Zhou Xunshu headed to Guangzhou， Guangdong Province， to pursue his dreams. His first job happened to be a security guard for a golf course. He hardly knew a thing about the sport before arriving in the city. “Its a game for the rich people and foreigners，”he was told. And that seemed like the end of the discussion.

Born on the wrong side of the tracks， Zhou could hardly understand why people paid so much to walk around the grassy course – 500 or 600 yuan for greens fees was almost half of his monthly salary. Even so， dozens of golfers played every day. “So THIS is how the rich people live，” he gasped.

The naive young man began to look closely at the little balls. After chatting with coaches， he was shocked to discover that every one earned five times more than him. He asked for free lessons， but was refused. “Why not learn myself？”

Lacking clubs， Zhou used cement to fix the head of a broken abandoned one and began practicing. His skill improved immeasurably during times the course was open for staff to use. Soon he became obsessed with the game. In 1998， he decided to spend 500 yuan on a set of used female clubs， which he continued using until his scores dipped into the 80s.

In 2003， Zhou quit his job as a security guard and became an assistant for a foreign coach at a practice course at Tianhe Stadium in Guangzhou. On July 21， 2004， he first became a coach： His long-awaited dream came true.

In June 2005， he was hired as the head coach of a practice course in Chongqing that hosted professional competitions. The opportunity to compete against professionals excited Zhou. He began searching for places to register for such events. He finally found open registration for a Kunming tournament at golftime.com.cn. “I was the absolute first to register，” he recalls. “I waited for days after filling out the form. Although I finished 35th， I was extremely happy because I reached my first tournament as a professional golfer.”

“I was lucky because my skill matured at the exact moment the development of golf in China began offering chances for someone like me，” grins Zhou. “My timing was perfect to join the first group of professional golfers in the country. It was fashionable to play golf， but not everyone could play well. People like myself had to work hard because we would only get a few chances. We worked extremely hard to prepare for various competitions.”

From 2008 to 2010， Zhou Xunshu ranked amongst the top ten professional Chinese players for three successive years.“Several hundred golfers were competing professionally，” explains Zhou， “Seeing my name on that list was pretty amazing at the time.”

Silver-Spoon Competition

Well into his forties， Zhou Xunshu has noticed changes since 2011. It became tougher to support his family through professional competitions， but not just because of his physical decline. Rather， his opponents became younger and stronger. “Over the last few years， more golf players born between 1985 and 1990 have arrived on the scene， and most were born rich. Fewer farmers like me can be found， and most began playing long before age 25.”

In recent years， only a handful of golfers have been able to score long-term deals with sponsors. And sponsorship only covers travel to competitions and entry fees. Everyone else， including Zhou， has to pay for everything out-of-pocket. Only the highest finishers receive any prize money， leaving the vast majority of competitors with empty hands.

Since 2005， Zhou has spent more than 100，000 yuan on various competitions，“Over 70 percent of it was spent after 2011.” To make up for his losses， he must recruit more students.

Other “grassroots” professionals of his generation are facing the same fate of becoming obsolete. Those like Zhou are seldom seen atop the podium at various golf competitions. They barely break the top ten even in semi-professional tournaments.

Contrasting Generations

Today， Zhou Xunshu doesnt compete professionally anymore， but still pays attention to the scores of major domestic and international tournaments.

Occasionally， some hire him as a coach in hopes of absorbing some of his formula for success. Zhou is always happy to help， but not necessarily encouraging. “Golfers may have great concentration and diligence， but they often dont have the broader professional knowledge， money， time or energy necessary to produce outstanding professional golfers.”

“The days are gone when one was likely to achieve success through opportunity and hard work，” Zhou asserts. “Young players today are more prone to follow the perceived rules of becoming famous.”

“People can learn about the rise of golf in China through Zhous story，” explains Dan Washburn， who spent nearly 10 years investigating and studying the history of golf development in China and stayed five years on Zhou Xunshu specifically. “As time goes on， the window of opportunity for this generation will close and give way to a younger generation of elite golfers.”

From Washburns perspective， Zhou Xunshu and his opponents are fading from the stage， their dreams fulfilled and their living and social positions elevated. “They are the last generation of blue-collar golfers. Poor people can still break into this field as caddies. If another Zhou Xunshu emerges someday， it will make big news… Mao Zedong considered golf a game for men of wealth， and it is still true today，" he adds.