IGF: China will have top golfers, Games medalists

HAIKOU - Golf could evolve into a big business in China and give the country a chance to win Olympic medals, officials and scholars said in the capital of Hainan province yesterday.

"This country will be a powerful force in golf, producing top tour players and Olympic gold medalists," International Golf Federation (IGF) co-secretary Peter Dawson said at the Haikou Golf and Tourism Forum that opened in the tropical island on Thursday.

Dawson said the inclusion of golf at the 2016 Olympic Games will benefit China and golf tourism in Hainan, China's southernmost province, as it attempts to build itself into a top international tour destination by 2020.