Every year a heap of young golfers try their luck and go on their journey to become a PGA Tour pro. However, as we all know only a few of them succeed in doing so. The 2024 season has already seen a lot of amateur golfers earn their PGA Tour cards and start their journey as PGA Tour rookies and one of these golfers was Wenyi Ding. Ding was born in Beijing, China on November 19, 2004, and the 19-year-old golfer has surely been making waves in the industry.

Do you know how the saying ‘Hard work always pays off’ goes? Well, that was exactly the case with Ding because the golfer has finally turned pro on the PGA Tour after having a pretty decorated amateur run.

Chinese golf star Wenyi Ding turns professional

Wenyi Ding is without a doubt one of the world’s most promising young golfers in the world right now. And his growth is pretty palpable as the golfer has turned professional after taking the top place at the Global Amateur Pathway Ranking. The 19-year-old Chinese star achieved this ranking after many hours of hard work but it all paid off thanks to his victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Japan.

Ding’s amateur career is glittering with multiple wins which include the Amer Ari Intercollegiate and the Southern Amateur. He also gained experience in professional tournaments after finishing third in the China Tour’s Hainan Open and seventh in the Volvo China Open. These amazing performances only speak for the talent and skills the golfer possesses. To add to that Ding was ranked third in the World Amateur Golf Ranking which is a pretty big deal, if you ask us. After this impressive run, the golfer will now compete on the DP World Tour in 2025. But do you know that Ding has said no to one of the most important majors out there to compete in the DP World Tour?

Wenyi Ding has turned down his spot in the 2025 Masters

The golfer is starting his professional golf career right away and has decided to showcase his skills by competing in the 2024 Hangzhou Open. But here’s the interesting and surprising the golfer has given up his spots in the 2025 Masters and US Open. Yes, you read it right. While this is very unlikely for a newly turned professional to give up such sought-after spots the golfer is pretty adamant about his decision.

Flushing Golf on X made a post regarding the same and the caption read, “Chinese Teenager, Wenyi Ding, won the Asia Pacific Am which earned him a spot at the 2025 Masters. But he chose to reject it and make his pro debut this week on the Challenge Tour where he’s shot opening rounds of 66 and 65 to be tied for the lead”! So, the golfer has left the spots that he earned by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship to compete in the Challenge Tour.

But why did he choose to do this? Well, the golfer recently spoke about with with an interview with Golf.com and said that he believes it is the best decision for him as of now. “It was a hard choice. I was struggling to make that decision after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. But after consulting my family, I believe this will be the right decision.” 

Well, that was his life on the golf course but what about his personal life? Well, the golfer’s personal life is as rich with happiness as his professional one!

Proud parents behind Wenyi Ding’s success

The golfer’s family is filled with athletic inspirations like his father Feng Ding who is a retired soccer coach from Beijing. Mr. Ding has dedicated the past decade to guiding his son’s golf career and well he is not disappointed at all. Despite having no formal golf training, Feng used his coaching experience and advice from Chinese golf professionals to help one of the best golfers out there, his son. “But with my experience as a soccer coach, I was able to help with training. And with some advice from golf professionals in China, I have been able to guide him”, Ding’s father said per Golf.com.

As the golfer competed in the 36-hole final his father watched anxiously while cheering on him and when Ding edged Caleb Surratt 3-and-2 there was no stopping Mr. Ding from celebrating his son’s victory. It was an emotional moment they shared when Wenyi captured the U.S. Junior Amateur title. “I am very proud and happy. I’m part of history now”, said Ding. So, what do you think about the rising star in the golf world? Let us know in the comment section below!