KUALA LUMPUR: Like many others, C.T. Pan and Sung Kang had visions of an American dream after getting hooked to golf as kids.
Growing up in the late 1990s when a certain half-Asian golfer named Tiger Woods was making game a really cool sport with his electrifying talent and bravado, Pan, who hails from Taiwan and South Korea’s Kang were mesmerised and drawn into a game which would forever change their lives.
In what will be remembered as a glorious spring for Asian golf, Pan and Kang masterfully secured their maiden PGA TOUR triumphs at the RBC Heritage and AT&T Byron Nelson, respectively, that will only inspire the next generation of Asian golfers to shoot for the stars.
Interestingly, both athletes share a similar journey in the game. They were strong amateur golfers with Asian Games gold medals to show for, their fathers played pivotal roles in their rise and both landed in the United States to pursue their teenage dreams, and without speaking a word of English.
Pan, 27, now recalls how his parents’ labour of love – his father and mother worked at a local club near home – had paved the way for him. “My father loved golf and told me when I was young that the sport had the potential to be a career.
“When I was five, we watched a lot of golf on TV and dad kept telling me the sport had a lot potential,” said Pan, who is only the second player from Taiwan to win on the PGA TOUR following T.C. Chen’s victory at the 1987 Los Angeles Open.
With raw talent and a cultivated desire for hard work due to his late father’s disciplinarian approach, Pan transformed from a boy with big dreams into a PGA TOUR champion. He is also very much in contention to become Taiwan’s first golfer to play in the Presidents Cup where the International Team will face the United States at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia this December. Pan currently lies in sixth position on Ernie Els’ International Team points list where the top-8 as of August 19 will earn automatic places.
Growing up, Pan and his older brother, Fu-chiang, spent hours hitting golf balls with a mixed bag of clubs comprising of junior equipment and cut-down adult irons. He did not receive formal coaching as it was expensive and instead relied on instructions published in golf magazines.
“We were like a sponge, we just absorbed everything. We always tried different things and figured things out,” said Pan.
“My father was quite strict and he made us practice and improve ourselves. I can remember all the late nights watching the Masters or watching PGA TOUR events, watching Tiger winning. And my dad would tell me, ‘Hey, I want you one day to do that for me’.”
Pan’s breakthrough came when he was invited to join the IMG National Academy in Bradenton, Florida in 2007 on a full scholarship, which meant leaving home as a teenager. His main challenge wasn’t competing against American kids but learning to speak English. “I didn’t speak a word. However, I knew this was a great opportunity as our financial situation was not great,” he recalled.
He subsequently won multiple American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments before gaining a place in the University of Washington where he was as two-time All American. He also helped Chinese Taipei win the team and individual gold medals at the 2014 Asian Games, cementing his stature as one of Asia’s rising stars.
After turning pro, he competed on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, winning twice during the summer of 2015 to earn ‘promotion’ onto the Korn Ferry Tour. After registering seven top-10s in 2016, Pan skyrocketed onto the PGA TOUR. He finished 88th on the FedExCup points list in his first full season in 2017, before coming in at a commendable 35th place last season on the back of 10 top-25s, including two top-5s.
Like Pan, Kang’s father sent him to America at the age of 15 to improve on his golf and English. Harnessing an all-round solid golf game, Kang played his way into the South Korean national team which grabbed gold at the 2006 Asian Games and success on the PGA TOUR came slowly but surely.
“My dad gave me a lot of support when I was young and send me over to U.S. and gave me a lot of opportunity to learn … from learning English when I was younger so I don't have any problem living in U.S,” said Kang, who became the 10th Korean-born player to win on the PGA TOUR.
Unlike Pan, Kang cut his early professional teeth on the Korean and Asian circuits, winning four times on home soil before securing playing rights on the PGA TOUR in 2011 and 2012. He lost his card and focused on the Korn Ferry Tour for three seasons before regaining his PGA TOUR rights in 2016. Like most Koreans, he benefited immensely from a friendship with K.J. Choi, Korea’s most successful player with eight PGA TOUR titles.
“It just feels amazing. I mean I was thinking about winning event on PGA TOUR when I was really young and watching Tiger dominating,” said Kang. “I talked to K.J. coming into Saturday (at the AT&T Byron Nelson) and he gave me a lot of advice. He told me just play your game, don't change anything. Stick to it and be patient. It was very helpful.”
* Chuah Choo Chiang is senior director, communications, PGA TOUR and is based in Kuala Lumpur.