Golf-Badminton great takes on the men at China Open qualifying

BEIJING, April 1 (Reuters) - Former badminton world number one Ye Zhaoying is trading her racket for a set of clubs this week in an attempt to become the first woman to qualify for the China Open.

The twice world champion is one of four women in a field of 93 players teeing off on Wednesday in the hope of claiming one of the last three spots at China's $2.2 million national Open, which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour.

Ye, one of the best shuttlers of all time, ended her 16-year badminton career after winning a bronze medal in controversial circumstances at the 2000 Sydney Olympics.

Team coach Li Yongbo later admitted he had instructed Ye to lose her semi-final to compatriot Gong Zhichao, who was considered to have a better chance of beating Dane Camilla Martin in the final.

"I needed to take up another sport after I retired from badminton and quickly got hooked on golf," the 34-year-old amateur said in a news release.

The leading three scorers over 36 holes at the Honghua Golf Club this week will qualify for the April 16-19 tournament at Beijing International Golf Club.

The China Open is also sanctioned by the new OneAsia Tour and the China Golf Association (CGA).

(Reporting by Liu Zhen; Editing by Nick Mulvenney)