A World Away, M-A's Fang Blossoms on Golf Course

Golf is considered a game of patience, persistence and adaptation. Through time and effort, Xin Fang has learned to master each quality.

As a 12-year-old, Fang traveled from her native China to California for what was supposed to be a three-week visit with her mother. She spoke exclusively Mandarin and the game of golf was just as foreign to her as English was.

What a difference four years can make.

Fang will begin her junior year at Menlo-Atherton High this fall, and she could hardly be more prepared. She speaks English better than many of her American-born peers, owns a 4.0 GPA and has quickly carved a spot among California's most heralded young female golfers.

Fang, 16, has an opportunity to solidify that status in the Northern California Golf Association Junior Championship at Spyglass Hill in Pebble Beach, a two-day event that starts on Monday. Fang could make a major statement at the tournament in the midst of a summer that has been defined by her growth on and off the greens.

"Her game has taken off over the last few months," said Clark Kelley, Fang’s stepfather and golf mentor. "Xin put in the time and preparation and it has paid off in a big way. She has really come into her own."

Fang, a right-hander with a natural backswing, has flourished during a whirlwind summer that has taken her along the West Coast for various tournaments.

She tied for seventh place in a field of 64 golfers in the California Women's Amateur Championships at Monterey Peninsula Country Club in June. A week earlier, Fang finished a single stroke away from qualifying for Callaway Golf's Junior Worlds competition.

After shooting a 79 at Poppy Ridge, a challenging course in Livermore, she had to settle for third place at a Worlds qualifying event. Only the top two finishers advanced.

Nicknamed "The Queen of Straight" because of ultra-consistent tee shots and limited deviation, Fang found her groove once again at the NCGA Junior Championship qualifier in Carmel on June 30. With a trip to Spyglass on the line, Fang fired a three-over 74 for first place in her group, capping the afternoon with birdies on the final two holes.

"I practice every day," Fang said shortly after wrapping a recent round on a local course. "When I first began playing golf, I didn't want to take it seriously. That's all changed now.”

Fang's journey from China

To understand how Fang developed into the rising athletic star she is today, you have to examine the journey that brought her here.

Helen Tu's cell phone rang during Fourth of July fireworks ceremonies in 2007. The long-awaited call informed Tu that her 12-year-old daughter had been granted a visa and would be permitted to visit from China. Fang, who at that time was living with her father, arrived in America 10 days later for what was supposed to be a three-week stay.

Tu emigrated from China in 2002 to finish her post-graduate studies. Soon after, she met Kelley, who had recently divorced, and the two formed a relationship. Due to stringent Chinese emigration policies that only allow winners of a national lottery to leave the country, Tu sacrificed visiting her daughter out of fear that she would never be able to return to America again. 

An emotional embrace at the airport ended five years of separation between mother and daughter. The reunited family headed straight to Disneyland to celebrate Xin’s arrival.

On the eve of her return trip to China, Fang’s father agreed to let her stay in the U.S. in hopes she would receive a high-quality education. She hasn’t seen her dad since, but routinely speaks to him on the phone to keep him informed of her rapidly changing life on the other side of the world.

"When I first arrived in America, it was only supposed to be for vacation," said Fang, who lived in Shenzhen, a large city in southern China. "I'm very happy with the way things have turned out."

So is her new father figure.

Kelley, a lifelong golf enthusiast, took Xin under his wing and the two instantly developed a close relationship. Much of the bonding occurred on the course.

“She’s the best thing that has ever happened to me,” Kelley said. “We weren’t able to have a child in my first marriage and I never thought I’d have the opportunity to be a father.”

He’s making the most of that chance now. At the outset, Kelley served as Fang’s chief golf instructor before handing duties over to well-respected pro instructor Roger Pineda of the Bay Area Golf Academy. 

Fang is soft-spoken and comes off as extremely humble. But there is an unmistakable passion in her voice when she discusses the sport she loves.

“Golf has become such a large part of my life,” Fang said. “I’ve grown more serious about how I approach shots and different situations during a round. I’ve also put a lot more effort into gym work.”

Concentrated weightlifting regiments have helped Fang add about eight pounds of muscle to her 5-foot-5 frame this year. Increased strength and stamina certainly helps in a sport that can drive even the world’s best players crazy at times.

“English was a lot easier to learn than golf,” Fang said with a laugh. “No question about it.”

Fang, who turns 17 in September, was awarded full U.S. citizenship last month, adding yet another chapter to what has been a storybook summer.

The upcoming NCGA Junior Championship at Spyglass, a revered course, could provide another landmark moment. If Fang can overcome the obstacles that await at Pebble Beach and hang tough against the tournament’s stiff competition, her chances of earning a collegiate golf scholarship could be greatly bolstered.

“We’re having the time of our lives this summer,” said Kelley, who travels with Fang to each of her tournaments. “Hopefully, there’s plenty more good things awaiting us in the future.”