Chinese golfers (from left) Wang Ziyi, Jin Cheng and He Muni play in tournaments in China. LIU ZHUANG/ZHOU WEI/CHINA DAILY

Most of the teens learned the game at a young age, with their fathers as their first teacher. And all have come from upper-middle-class families, since training and competition are expensive.

Wang's mother, Liu Yan, who advocates golf as a steppingstone to US universities, said she had devoted all her time to her daughter as her cook, driver and chaperon. Her father trained with her during weekends and took leave to be her caddie at important competitions.

However, Liu said she believed that extraordinary self-discipline was the key to her daughter's success.

Likewise, Dan Webb, CEO of Palm Springs Golf, an academy for local children in southern Shenzhen, said he believed young Chinese golfers' greatest advantage is their way of thinking.

"The Chinese philosophy produces an extreme work ethic, focus and humility," he said. "When circumstance allows self-confidence to be introduced within this philosophy, you have the making of a serious golf player, perhaps a champion."

Luo Ying caused a stir in Seattle in 2013 when she played for the University of Washington while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. It was fun playing the sport she loves and get-ting paid for it, she told a recent gathering of Chinese parents and children who were eager to follow her path.