Unconsciously, Yuan Yechun has been sitting in the position of "China's first brother" for ten months.
Since May 16 last year, his world rankings have been the highest of all Chinese players except for a week.
But that doesn't make him happy, though after finishing tied for second in Panama, he got the highest ranking of his career. 267th is not his goal – three years ago, even before embarking on the Korn Ferry Tour, he reached 301st place with a tie for third place at the Australian PGA Championship.
(After the final round of the Panama Championship, Yuan Yechun signed for fans next to the 18th green at panama golf clubs)
At the beginning of the new season, as three years ago, Yuan Yichun once again ushered in a good start. In four games in Central and South America, he took one tied for second and one for third. Although he failed to qualify for the other two games, he remains at a high position of 10th place in the Tour standings. At the end of the regular season, the top 25 players will receive a PGA TOUR card for next season.
"(Top five) these two games may be a little more difficult to set up the pitch, the wind is relatively large, the overall difficulty is relatively high, and it is more suitable for my style of play," Yuan Yechun concluded, "because my kick-off is better and the attacking green is more solid, so it is actually easier to play to my advantages in the more difficult course." ”
Liking challenges has always been Yuan Yechun's style. After competing in the Olympics last year, he returned to the United States to prepare for the new season. Winter training alone could not satisfy his appetite, and Yuan also went to Georgia to participate in the Monday qualifier of the PGA Tour's RSM Classic. He finished at the top of the table with a score of -8 and scored into the regular race.
(Yuan Yechun in the first round of the PGA Tour RSM Classic)
Competing for the PGA Tour at Monday's qualifiers is for my own promotion and perhaps to make up for some of last year's regrets. At the end of last season, Yuan Gave up the opportunity to participate in the last four regular season games and playoffs, and returned to China to quarantine in advance and prepare for the Olympic Games. If he didn't play in the Olympics, he was at no. 29 in the standings at the time, and he had great hopes of qualifying for this year's PGA Tour.
But Yuan Yechun had no regrets. At the Kasumigaseki Country Club outside Tokyo, he gained an experience he couldn't get on the tour.
"Every day on the first tee off, seeing yourself on the big screen being played out, hearing the departure man announce that you are an athlete representing China, for me, it was quite a shocking moment." Yuan Yechun said, "In fact, when I kicked off on the first day, my mentality was really very tense, and in the previous game, even if I was in the leading group, I didn't have this kind of mood." ”
(Yuan Yechun in the first round of the men's golf tournament at the Tokyo Olympics)
Yuan Yichun eventually ranked tied for 38th place at the Olympics.
"It was a very rare experience. In the future, when I participate in PGA Tour, major tournaments, and even have the opportunity to win championships myself, I will definitely have the same mentality. This Olympics gave me the opportunity to experience this feeling, which is very rare. ”
This strong mentality continued into this year's new season. In his first week in the Bahamas, Yuan Yechun braved the winds on the seashore and played -10 in four days to get a tie for third. After being eliminated in the second week, Yuan Yichun played -7 in Panama in the third week, tied for the second place.
"In the previous few years of competition, my feeling at the beginning of the year was 'first play to see, test the water, see how the state is, and then wait for the opportunity later'," Yuan Yechun said, "This year, my own goal is relatively high, I hope that the first few games can play the best level, and the pressure behind will not be very large." A change in mindset is helpful. ”
(Yuan Yechun in the second round of the Panama Championship)
The word mentality will be the keyword of Yuan Yechun's career this year, and even many years after that. He studied at the University of Washington for three years — he envied the PGA Tour college program that came out after he left school, and college players had the opportunity to go straight to the Glorious Tour or even the PGA Tour — fishing in his spare time, reading psychology books with his wife, and knowing how important a stable mindset would be to him. "(The season) is playing well in the front, but there may be ups and downs in the back. You need to be prepared for such a situation in advance. Yuan said that one of his most recent books was "The Mental Fitness Room: A Guide to Inner Excellence for Athletes," which "is important to maintain a steady mindset." ”
With most of the season left, Yuan Yechun's inner life will be tested again and again in the fiercely competitive glorious tour.
Yuan's home is in Jacksonville, where the PGA Tour headquarters is located. He usually practices at TPC sawtooth grass, and during the Players Tournament, he will go to TPC Scottsdale in Arizona for a week of training, while keeping an eye on the performance of Thomas, Morkawa and Hoveland next door to his home - he is optimistic about these players and hopes that he can go to the TEE of the Players Championship next year and truly "play at home". After this week, he, Dou Zecheng and Zhang Xinjun will all appear on the field of the Louisiana Open.
When it comes to the reasons that make this "Chinese brother" happy, it is actually related to the other two "little partners".
"If more Chinese players can rank in the top 100 or the top 50 in the world rankings, then become China's first, I think it will be more meaningful," Yuan said, "the most important goal of Chinese players now is to be able to play on the PGA TOUR, gain a foothold on the PGA TOUR, and win the game." ”