The Chinese star ends the PIF Global Series surrounded by home support.
As the PIF Global Series heads to Mission Hills for its season finale, Lily Muni He is eager to finish the year where her golf journey began. The Golf Saudi ambassador talks to Golf Digest Middle East about the growth of women’s golf in China, the electric energy of a home crowd, and how she and her partner, Formula 1 driver Alex Albon, push each other to stay sharp both mentally and competitively.
Lily, it must be exciting to finish the PIF Global Series at home in China. What do you think it will be like playing in front of a home crowd at Mission Hills?
It is really exciting for me to be able to finish the PIF Global Series at home in China. Last year was an incredible first year in Shenzhen — the fans were amazing, electric, and I really felt the love. So I’m really excited to be able to play there again this year and hopefully enjoy that same atmosphere, playing in front of a home crowd. It’s amazing to see the Series grow and keep stepping up in terms of prize money for us in women’s golf. I think it sets a really great example for everyone — not just in women’s golf, but women’s sports in general.
The PIF Global Series has really stepped up prize money and event setups for women’s golf. How does that feel out on the course?
The Series has been such a great example for everyone in women’s golf by really stepping up in terms of prize money and levelling up every year to help grow the women’s game. I think it sets an incredible example for all the other events out there. It feels great for us players because now, not only do we get to play with our hearts out and display our abilities and talents on a worldwide platform, but knowing that we’re playing for a significant amount of money is always a great feeling.
Mark Runnacles/Ladies European Tour
As a Golf Saudi ambassador, how do you see your role in shaping the future of women’s golf around the world?
As a Golf Saudi ambassador, I hope to see my role as someone who can help inspire the next generation of women golfers in countries like China and Saudi, where the game is really growing. It’s essential for there to be representation and great role models for young girls to look up to. I know that’s how I got involved with golf and how I eventually became a professional golfer — because I was inspired. So I really hope we can be examples for the next generation.
Does playing at home give you an extra buzz, or do you feel a bit more pressure?
Playing at home definitely gives me extra energy. I think there’s always pressure, especially when you have a lot of supporters and people out there watching you play — you want to perform well. But at the same time, I approach all my tournaments the same way. Knowing that we’re going to have a lot of support from the home crowd makes me feel really excited and makes me look forward to competing at home.
You have over a million fans following your journey on social media. Does their support make a difference when you’re competing?
Knowing that I have a platform with over a million fans on social media makes me feel very loved. I feel really grateful to be able to connect with so many people all over the world — whether it’s in China, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, or America. Having people’s words of encouragement and support really gives me extra grit and energy to push through when times get tough. But it’s also about being able to share my journey with everyone online, whether they’re avid golfers or just getting into the sport. I think it’s a very cool position to be in.
Alex Albon and Muni He. Kym Illman/Getty Images
With your partner Alex (Albon) competing in Formula 1, do you two ever swap tips or motivation from your different sports?
Alex and I definitely exchange a lot of tips, especially when it comes to the mental side of our sports. As different as they are, the foundation of the human skills required is very similar. We actually now share the same sports psychologist, which has been great for both of us. We can be a sounding board for each other and reflect off one another. When one of us is down, the other is always there to support them. I feel really blessed to have a partner who I can share these experiences with on a deeper level.
What do you hope young women in China and across the globe will see in this series that might inspire them to chase a golf career?
When I was very young, there really weren’t too many female Chinese golfers on the world stage. Now, seeing that there are so many of us playing at the highest level of women’s golf makes me very happy. When I come back to China and see how amazing, talented, and hard-working the juniors are, it makes me feel very hopeful for the growth of golf here. It’s so important to have representation within the sport at a high level, and I think we’ve done an amazing job of that. It’s a really exciting time to see where women’s golf in China will go in the next five to ten years.
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This article was featured in the November 2025 issue of Golf Digest Middle East. Click here for a digital issue of the full magazine
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