Chinese golfer Li Haotong plays during the online simulator duel on Sunday in Shanghai. Photo: Courtesy of the China Golf Association

Chinese golfer Wu Ashun edged compatriot Li Haotong on Sunday in a golf simulator duel between the two Chinese aces, as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced world golfing events to be postponed or canceled.

Organized by the China Golf Association, the duo took to the simulator to compete at a virtual Kasumigaseki Country Club, the venue for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. Veteran Wu, 34, playing in Xiamen, East China's Fujian Province, won the event by three strokes with a one-over-par 73. 

"It feels good, though the result is not satisfying," said Li, who played in Shanghai. "But what's more important is that we can promote golf through this event, when competing in reality is currently not available."

Li, a two-time European Tour winner, is considered a rising star in Chinese golf. At the age of 24, he is ranked No.87 in the world.

Meanwhile, the big difference between reality and scenes in the simulator also caused problems, as the wind speed in the game was sometimes not taken into account by the golfers. 

"You don't feel the wind, that's why sometimes the weather in the game was ignored," said Li, who struggled in his putting, which he is also known for in reality. 

The novel coronavirus outbreak has forced numerous public sporting activities to be postponed or canceled across the globe, leaving many athletes no competitive games to play and sports fans no live games to follow.

More than 2,000 golf fans watched the competition live through popular Chinese video-sharing platform Douyin on Sunday. 

In the first-round online duel between the two golfers on April 6, Wu finished one-over-par 73 to win over Li's 84 at a virtual Zhengzhong Golf Club in South China's Shenzhen.

The lack of below-par performances have led to some fans questioning the golfers' seriousness in the simulator game, but others believe that it is the athletes' inexperience in using simulators that resulted in their poor performances. 

The men's Olympic golf event is rescheduled to be held at Kasumigaseki in Saitama, Japan from July 29 to August 1 in 2021, after the Tokyo 2020 Olympics were forced to postpone for a year. 

While some athletes were frustrated over the postponement, the Chinese duo chose to look on the bright side, saying the delay has given athletes more time to prepare for the quadrennial event.