In Hong Kong, festivities are in full swing to usher in the Lunar New Year, as per tradition. The only deviation from the script was the absence of 27-year-old Matthew, the Cheung family’s elite athlete golfer, whose devotion to his burgeoning career meant he would have to miss the joyous occasion.
It hadn’t happened in the past five years, but the life of a professional golfer is more about walking on hot coals. The Year of the Snake is synonymous with growth, and Matthew, determined to grow his career, opted to spend the week at the DLF Golf and Country Club in Gurugram, India.
Hong Kong pro golfer Matthew Cheung on how familial values have informed his career
The result wasn’t ideal; but, by turning up to face off against some of the world’s best golfers from LIV Golf and the Asian Tour for the International Series India, Cheung reiterated what has been his motto since turning professional in 2019. It is the confidence in his ability, and he is hoping for some help in the Year of the Snake, which is also associated with the ability to transform.
Surrounded by the chaos of the Millenium City that is Gurugram, Cheung ushered in the New Year in an oasis of calm with recollections and video calls after work to greet his near and dear ones across continents.
Growing up in Hong Kong and Brisbane, where his mother and brother are based, Cheung’s outlook is cosmopolitan. Despite being a world traveller, his respect for customs and familial ties easily shines through. As the absentee family member, nostalgia was Cheung’s companion as he spoke about the precursor to the week of festivities, the big family reunion dinner the night before.
Cheung missed out on Lai See, the red cash envelope family elders hand out to the next generation as a token of their blessings and good luck; likewise, he could not attend the luncheon at his grandmother’s house, but was aware that as always, the menu was dominated by turnip and palm sugar cakes.
The get-togethers with family and friends thereafter are interspersed with rounds of mahjong. Chueng stands proud that even in these times, the New Year celebrations have stood the test of diminishing values.
Extension of family values
The family’s stress on values rubbed off on Cheung. When he was introduced to golf aged 8, when his parents would drive two hours on weekends to Mission Hills, China, the sport’s cornerstone of character building became an extension of what he had been taught.
Like any journey, Cheung had phases of momentum like getting better at the Pacific Golf Club in Brisbane. The junior programme there ran deep with an enrolment of over 300 kids, and Cheung had to strive to prove himself. His mother backed him by ensuring the time away from academics was taken up by golf. “There were days when Mum left me at the golf course at 7am and I was there till 6 pm,” said Cheung.
Stepping stones
The other milestone in shaping him was going to a golf school and then college at the Oklahoma City University in the United States. The Kelvin Grove State College boasts a formidable faculty, and many of the teachers have shaped the careers of top professionals Down Under.
Being part of the college golf team honed his craft as the team earned their laurels on the big stage.
Chueng came to believe that his calling lay in professional golf and has since kept on the path despite setbacks. After his change in status, debuting on the Asian Tour was the obvious choice, but he had to dig deep and persevere till the opportunity came his way some years later.
Unable to qualify in Asia in 2019, Cheung shifted his focus to the PGA Tour China and Australasian Tour. While biding his time to break on to bigger tours, Cheung made the most of what he had in hand. Working hard and picking up valuable lessons, he laid the foundation of the success that came his way in 2023 and the ensuing season.
After two attempts, he had his playing rights on the Asian Tour in 2023, and the confidence of securing one of the handful of cards on offer had a domino effect on the season.
Cheung’s presence at the International Series India isn’t by fluke. A top 10 finish at the International Series Vietnam in early 2023 spelt out the potential and his right to compete with the best. One thing led to another, and a strong finish in Taipei gave Cheung a taste of success while allowing him to soak in the pressure of being in contention.
Breakthrough moment
Though competition on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), the feeder line to the Asian Tour, is no less intense, success on the main tour prepared Cheung for more positive results on the ADT in a way that he was comfortable under the gun.
Armed with the wherewithal to win, it all came together at the Royal Hua Hin Thailand Championship in the Middle East. The week on the Mena (Middle East) Tour two seasons back heralded a turning point for the young man. With three rounds of under-par golf, Cheung had his win, the moment made sweeter by wife Kaitlin being on the bag.
“The first win is always special but also the hardest. It showed I could put together consecutive rounds of solid golf,” said Cheung.
Pandemic scare
The win vindicated his decision to stay put in the pro ranks, but keeping steady wasn’t easy, especially after what he had to endure during the pandemic.
The world suffered, and Cheung coped in his sphere. The lockdown rules in Hong Kong were among the strictest on the globe, and practicing became a challenge with golf clubs staying shut for prolonged periods of time.
With virtually no tournaments, the mind began playing games. With little to show in terms of performance at that point and with little inkling of the success that lay ahead in 2023 and beyond, Cheung even contemplated giving up golf and making use of the Finance degree he had worked for in college.
Wading through doubt and despair, Cheung found light by moving to the US for golf and some sanity. Now as he looks back, he is glad he persevered and did not succumb to the urge that gripped him in those dark times.
Every week a lesson
Deep in the troughs often encountered by athletes, Cheung hit turbulence by losing his card in Asia for 2024. But winning Stage 1 of the DP World Tour’s Qualifying School, and Final Stage Qualifying on the China Tour acted as a balm for the ache.
Thereafter, a series of strong finishes on the ADT helped him to ease into the top 10 on the ADT order of merit, and he is assured of starts on the main tour this year, aware that a week is all he needs to be called a champion on the Asian Tour.
“I am very proud of last year. I played consistent golf to prove that I belong here,” he said.
Cheung has learned from the bad weeks and will keep doing so as he believes there is no shame in failing while attempting to push the bar higher.
It is a work in progress, and Cheung is getting better at not losing his cool after a bad shot or round. Having Kaitlin on the bag, whenever she can be on the bag, helps as she knows how to calm her man down with things that deflect the mind away from golf.
No choice
In a sphere where every inch is fiercely contested, there is no option but to keep improving. “In golf, if you are not improving every week, you fall behind [the] rest of the field. I take every bad week as a [lesson] and not an unpleasant experience,” said Cheung.
Sponsored by EFG Bank and Clearwater Bay Golf Club, Cheung is aware that a lot is riding on him, including the expectations of a nation. Proud to turn out under the Hong Kong flag, Chueng is determined to prove what athletes from his home city can do. “I love the city; it is the best of the East and West.”
“Since the amateur days, looking up to the national flag fluttering in the breeze on tournament weeks [has given me] goosebumps,” said Cheung.
A role model back home along with fellow professional Taichi Kho, Cheung is proud that juniors are looking to him for guidance and inspiration. It is a responsibility, and Cheung is happy to stand in this role by notching strong results around the world.
(Main and featured images: Asian Tour)
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
