Things the rigours of the tour teaches

WITH four Malaysians having duly retained their playing rights on the China Ladies Professional Golf Association (CLPGA) Tour next year, they now look forward to the 2026 campaign with a renewed determination to do well.

Jing Xuen “JX” Ng, Jocelyn Chee, Aretha Pan and Winnie Ng retained their cards for next season and know fully well how difficult and testing it is to tour.

Their experiences were solid commitments and the quartet shared some of these experiences and their thoughts on what it means to them and how next season may figure in their plans moving forward.

Previously mentioned in this column, their 2025 campaigns showed that Malaysian players can indeed go some way to building their careers beyond the local tour.

The Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM) Tour is a good starting point for all, but for long-term growth, exposure to deeper and more formidable fields, tougher playing conditions and being able to manage adequately away from home is crucial to making to the grade on tour.

As pointed out by long-time coach and mentor Koe Lai Yin: “Their journey encourages the next generation of Malaysian players to look beyond their comfort zones, plan pathways carefully and invest holistically in development.”

JX emerged as the leading Malaysian on the Order of Merit, in 20th place, having made the cut in each of the 11 tournaments she signed up for. Jocelyn was 38th, making 10 cuts of her 12 events. One slot adrift was Aretha in 39th place, having made the cut on nine occasions in her 11 tournaments.

Winnie finished 70th in the standings this season and will receive limited playing opportunities, which she could improve on if she were to go to Q-School next month and make the cut there.

She made six cuts in 10 events, while Allycia Gan made one of eight, and was 107th on the Order of Merit.

Speaking to TeeUp, JX said she would focus her time on the CPLGA Tour next year, and look to do better than her debut campaign, which one has to say was rather encouraging, given that she is still only 17.

Following are excerpts from the interviews with both JX and Aretha:

Aretha Pan

I’M happy to report that I’ve secured my CLPGA Tour card for 2026. Yet, to be honest, retaining the card itself

was never something that I consciously focused on. My approach throughout the season was simply to prepare well, compete fully in every tournament, and allow the results to take care of themselves.

The season was demanding, both physically and mentally, with a full schedule across China. I made nine cuts from 11 starts and finished 39th on the

CLPGA points ranking.

There were several steady performances, highlighted

by a tie for 12th place at the China Golf Women’s Legacy, which showed the level I’m capable of when things come together.

Overall, I see this season as a solid foundation rather than a finished product.

There were encouraging stretches of good golf, but also areas where I know I can improve, particularly in converting opportunities and sustaining momentum over tournament rounds.

Moving forward, the focus will be on continuing to develop my game and competing more freely, with the aim of pushing higher up leaderboards next season.

I’ll remain active on the CLPGA Tour, while also competing regularly on the local PGM Tour, as part of a structured schedule to maintain sharpness, build confidence and carry the momentum into 2026.

I want to thank everyone again for the continued support. It helps so much knowing there are people out there wishing us well on tour, and supporting you.

Ng Jing Xuen

Jing Xuen Ng

YES, I’ve retained my card for 2026 and finished 20th on the Order of Merit.

I feel my hard work has paid off in many ways, and I’m grateful to have made all the cuts of the tournaments that I played in this season.

One of the highlights was earning the opportunity to compete in the Aramco China Championship, which was a phenomenal learning experience.

Being able to observe how elite professionals prepare and practice was extremely valuable and gave me clearer insight into the level required to compete consistently at the top.

Next season, I’ll be focusing solely on the China LPGA Tour.

After discussions with my coach and reflecting on this season, we’ve decided not to commit to other tours for now.

Competing in these professional fields has shown me that improving my distance is key to unlocking my

full potential and performing at my best, and that will be my major focus moving forward.

For now, I’ll be heading into the off-season to focus on physical training, technical work, and recovery, before preparing for the 2026 season with clearer goals and direction.

I would like to thank all the people around me for their support – thank you so much once again.