Former stars help popularize sport

Former Chinese star athletes have joined the rising generation of golf players to help draw attention to the sport.

Among the household names competing at the China Amateur Golf Futures Tour (GFT) event in Beijing over the weekend were former badminton world champion Ye Zhaoying and gymnastics great Li Xiaoshuang.

Ye, the 35-year-old Zhejiang native and world champion in 1995 and 1997, has shown impressive progress since she picked up the clubs six years ago.