Zhang and Liang lead strong Chinese challenge at BMW Asian

China’s most successful golfer Zhang Lian-Wei and its latest hero Liang Wen-Chong will be spearheading the Chinese challenge at this month’s 2007 BMW Asian Open from April 19 to 22 at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club.

Zhang, whose best finish at the BMW Asian Open was joint fifth in 2004, is confident that Chinese players will shine at this year’s BMW Asian Open, despite the strongest star players’ field ever assembled.

Besides four Majors winners in Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Paul Lawrie and John Daly, the field also boosts of the likes of 8-time European Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie and Europe’s Ryder Cup veterans like Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn

“Many top international players are invited every year to the BMW Asian Open,” commented Zhang, who has four Asian Tour wins. “I have played against the likes of Ernie Els and John Daly before and I have beaten them before. I am very familiar with the players, the course and I believe this year I could do better.”

Zhang was the first Chinese golfer and only the fifth Asian to win a European title in 2003 when he beat then world number two Ernie Els at the final hole of the Singapore Masters. After his heroic effort, he went on to become the first Chinese player to play in the US Masters at Augusta the following year. Last year, Zhang, now 41 years old, proved he is still one of China’s leading golfers by topping the China Tour Order of Merit.

Based on current form, however, Zhang’s good friend and protégé Liang Wen-Chong has taken over the mantle as China’s number one. The 28-year-old Liang won his maiden co-sanctioned title at the Singapore Masters last month and is currently second on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Over the past few months, Liang has proven himself to be one of Asia’s rising stars. At last September’s Singapore Open, Liang was the best Asian finisher in fourth and this January, he was again Asia’s best finisher at the Qatar Masters finishing joint ninth with two-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Thongchai Jaidee.

While local fans will be cheering on their heroes Zhang Lian-Wei and Liang Wen-chong, other Chinese players who are hoping to make headlines are amateurs Ye Jian Feng and US-based Hu Mu.

Last year, both teenagers make their debut at the 2006 BMW Asian Open and 16-year-old Hu Mu missed the cut by just three strokes after shooting a second-round 73. Ye, meantime, made headlines last year, when he became the youngest amateur to debut in a European Tour event at the tender age of 14 years old.

“I didn’t fare too well last year and I remembered the wind was really strong in the second round,” said Ye, a member of the BMW China National Junior Golf Team. “It was a steep learning curve for me and it was a fantastic experience just playing in the same tournament with some of the best players in the world. It’s been a year now since I played in the BMW Asian Open and I’ve been working hard on improving the accuracy of my irons and also increased the length of my tee shot. I’m really looking forward to improving my scores from last year.”

After taking part in last year’s BMW Asian Open, Ye went on to finish runner-up at the 2006 World Junior Championships. The 15th year old also outshined some of the older and more experienced Chinese pros recently when he won a qualifier to play in the China Open.

Florida based Hu Mu, who shares the same coach as Michelle Wie, meantime, will be looking to impress in his second BMW Asian Open outing. The 17-year-old has finished in the top 25 in 13 out of 15 junior events he played in America in the past two years, finishing in the top ten in nine of those tournaments.

The two teenagers are among China’s brightest prospects and China’s leading golf ambassador Zhang is confident about the future.

“Chinese golf has certainly matured since the 1980s and we are experiencing massive development in the third decade,” said Zhang who worked as a caddie and took up golf not long after the first golf course opened in China back in 1984. “Sponsors like BMW has been supporting golf all along and this is already the fourth year that the BMW Asian Open is held in China. BMW has done a lot for both professional golfers and the juniors here in China. I strongly believe that China golf will have a bright future.”

In addition to proven winners like Zhang Lian-Wei and Liang Wen-Chong, the Chinese Golf Association has also named Li Chao, Huang Ming-jie, Yuan Hao, Qi Zheng-fa, Liao Gui-Ming, Wu Wei-huang, Shang Lei, Gao Lei, Gu Shu-tao, Deng Wen-gen, Zheng Shao-guang, Huang Yong-huan, Qiu Zhi-feng and Xiao Zhi-jin for the BMW Asian Open 2007.

April 10, 2007

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