Photo: Instagram.com/Kevin Yu
Kevin Yu fulfils childhood dream and receives Masters invitation, says he imagined this ever since he was a kid
GEORGIA, USA: Kevin Yu is about to make his Masters tournament debut and fulfil his childhood dream.
The 26-year-old athlete first captured his PGA Tour victory at the Sanderson Farms last October. With this achievement, he earned an invitation to the prestigious Masters competition. He will now join an elite group from Chinese Taipei, including Lu Liang-huan, the Chen brothers (Tze-chung and Tze-ming), Lin Wen-tang, and Pan Cheng-tsung.
With this opportunity, Yu expressed: “It still feels unbelievable honestly, just because I’ve been dreaming of playing in the Masters since I started playing golf. I’ve watched Tiger Woods in so many Masters and the shots he has pulled off which were crazy. Trust me, I’ve watched the Masters all night since I was young and knowing I’m actually going to play in the tournament is literally a dream come true. I’m really excited.”
Yu’s background in golf
Kevin Yu recalls when he used to set his alarm around midnight every April to watch the Masters live on television. Moreover, his father, a golf instructor, would join him as the leaders made their way down the back nine. Both of them would dream of walking those iconic fairways at Augusta National, and imagining themselves experiencing it as well.
Yu began playing golf at an early age. At the age of eight, he had won multiple junior tournaments. More so, he would challenge his father when they used to play at a local course, fueling his passion for the sport.
The athlete shared: “My earliest golf memory is that my father took me to a golf course, he played and I was playing in the sand and tried putting. (Eventually) I wanted to beat my dad so bad out there, and that’s what got me into this game.”
Furthermore, he moved to the United States to compete in AJGA tournaments, with encouragement from Pan Cheng-Tsung. He then joined the Arizona State University after winning the Junior Players Championship, where he became a top collegiate player and eventually became world amateur No. 1.
As preparation for the tournament, Yu had a practice round at the Augusta National and had a moment when he arrived at the clubhouse. He admitted: “It was pretty cool driving up Magnolia Lane and seeing the clubhouse and everything. It was amazing. It’s hard to explain, but that’s the place I’ve always wanted to be.”
He further said: “I played in a college tournament near Augusta previously, and we kind of saw the layout a little bit from the outside but to actually be there, it was on another level. The greens obviously are very tough to putt on, so I was trying to get some knowledge from the local caddies. You have to use your imagination to make the putts possible, just really be disciplined.”
This will not be Yu’s first Major appearance. When he was an amateur, he qualified for three consecutive US Opens from 2018 to 2020. These experiences served as motivation as he prepared for his Masters debut.
He declared: “I know I can compete with these guys. We play against each other all the time, and I’m trying to beat the same guys. Being in the Majors at a young age helped me quite a bit. I was practising too hard, and I got too excited seeing the top guys. By game day, I was exhausted, so that’s a mistake I won’t make again. You have to be humble in knowing you need to keep getting better every day especially after those weeks. I was like ‘Oh my god, I’m still not even close to being good’ and it tells me I need to keep grinding which makes me want to be better every day.”
In a social media post, Yu shared: “First major as a pro! @themasters can’t wait to tee it up tomorrow morning 💪🏼”
Netizens commented and shared their support by saying: “Hugeeeee🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥,” and “Play well Kev!!”
