For anyone who has stood on a golf course and felt its mixture of beauty, possibility, and challenge, Hudson Shaoxia Zhang ’s Tribute to Rory McIlroy II offers something familiar, and something entirely his own.
From Bethpage to the Studio
The painting’s story began with Zhang’s visit to Bethpage in June 2025, as the course prepared to host the Ryder Cup that September.
Back in his studio, he developed the composition through successive sketches. The bunkers anchored the foreground, the rough brought tension to the landscape, and spectators appeared in the distance—“tiny points of human energy set against an immense natural stage,” as he describes them.
This progression—from firsthand observation through successive sketches—is central to the work’s originality. Zhang develops the landscape through deliberate choices about composition, color, and atmosphere. His aim is to convey the experience of the place, bringing its recognizable features together with memory and imagination.
For golfers, that approach offers a familiar connection: the experience of a course extends beyond its individual holes. It includes the beauty, the challenges, and the memories carried away from a round.
Dated 2026, the auction painting is Zhang’s second interpretation of this Bethpage scene. The “II” in its title marks a renewed exploration of the subject, realized as an individually painted original.
A Dedication to the Spirit of Golf
The 2025 Ryder Cup added an emotional dimension to Zhang’s interpretation. He had anticipated fierce competition between the American and European teams. The personal attacks directed toward Rory McIlroy, however, troubled him deeply.
The dedication expresses his admiration for McIlroy and his belief in the dignity and respect at the heart of the game.
“Through this painting, I hope to honor not only Rory, whom I have long admired, but also the enduring grace of the game itself,” Zhang explains.
Although named for a player, the painting keeps the landscape at its center.
“To me, the course represents a sense of eternity, while the human drama upon it is only fleeting.”
The thought will resonate with many golfers: players and tournaments become part of a course’s history, while the landscape continues to welcome new challenges and ambitions.
Academic Depth and International Recognition
Zhang brings the perspective of an art historian, author, and educator to his painting. He studied and taught art history at Nanjing University of the Arts and became founding dean of Hainan University’s College of Art. His extensive publications encompass over 40 volumes in international fine and decorative arts, as well as modern Chinese art history.
This grounding informs a practice that connects Chinese landscape ideals with Western approaches to light, color, and atmosphere. Art critic Richard Vine describes the relationship in his essay, More Than a Game: Golf Course Landscapes as Metaphor:
“Zhang’s bicultural technique might be dubbed Literati Impressionism. For his practice clearly echoes literati values, offering a deep poetic response to intuited spiritual essences, while also embracing Western painterly traditions, above all the optics of light, color, and atmospheric effects.”
Zhang’s solo exhibition “Golf Course Landscapes” toured the University of London, Museo Bellini in Florence, Sorbonne University in Paris, and the University of Louvain in Belgium, attracting coverage from more than 100 media outlets. His paintings are held in the permanent collections of Museo Bellini and the Art Museum of Nanjing University of the Arts (AMNUA), as well as private collections worldwide. His 2026 monograph, edited by Richard Vine, has entered the libraries and collections of leading golf clubs and the USGA Museum and Library.
A Collector Experience That Gives Back
The auction work builds on Hole-in-One: Hudson Zhang Special Exhibition , held September 18 at the Harvard Club of New York City benefiting the AJGA. Alongside the auction donation, Zhang gifted A Round with Friends, depicting TPC Sawgrass, to AJGA Headquarters.
The winning bidder’s private studio visit offers an opportunity to meet Zhang, discuss the painting, and view works in progress. The signed monograph is a collectible volume with over 480 pages, bringing together large-format reproductions, scholarly essays, and the artist’s writings, providing a broader introduction to the ideas behind his work.
Proceeds from the auction support the Liberty National Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE) Grant Program, helping eligible junior golfers overcome financial barriers to competitive play.
Bidding is scheduled to close October 30 at 9 PM EDT.
View the Painting, Register, and Bid
For additional artwork information, contact Liz Zhi Li, Director of Hudson Zhang Studio, at studio@hudsonzhang.com.