Li Chao leaps into second on Order of Merit

Li Chao's impressive come-from-behind win in the US$100,000 Dell Championship has helped him make up ground on leader Zhang Lianwei in their traditional Omega Order of Merit battle, after two tournaments on the 10-event Omega China Tour.

Li shot a closing 66 to finish with a six-under-par total of 274, three clear of Zhang, who had also started the final day on two-under and shot 69 after bogeying the last two holes at the Orient (Xiamen) Golf and Country Club in Xiamen.

Li won a cheque for RMB150,000 and a Dell Latitude XT tablet PC after securing his eighth victory in 20 events on the Omega China Tour.

"I'm delighted, especially as this is my first victory this year," said the 27-year-old. "I'm also happy because this year I have a new sponsor, Mizuno, which adds a bit of pressure. Now, I also have my first laptop computer!"

Li, who also shot a closing 66 win last September's Xiamen Championship over the same layout, now sits in second place on the Omega Order of Merit list with RMB172,000, as he bids for his third Merit title in four seasons.

Zhang leads the Omega Order of Merit with RMB240,000 after earning RMB90,000 for his runner-up finish at the Dell Championship.

The 42-year-old, who in 2004 became the first Chinese to play in the US Masters, has topped the Merit table since picking up RMB150,000 for winning the season-opening Guangzhou Championship, where Li won RMB22,000 after finishing fourth.

The two players' fascinating rivalry showed its two faces in Xiamen, where Li played in the penultimate flight, ahead of Zhang, on the final day.

Soon after completing his round, Li showed his competitive nature by punching the air in delight when the main scoreboard showed that Zhang had bogeyed the 17th, giving him a two-shot advantage. Zhang also bogeyed the 18th.

However, the six-foot four-inch Li also showed his humble side, courteously bowing to his senior in the prize presentation, and both players have long revealed a great respect for one another.

The two players have been the dominant forces on the Omega China Tour since its inception in 2005. Li, who has played in every Tour event, won the first Merit title by winning two of the four tournaments, while Zhang made only one appearance, finishing third in Zhuhai.

The following year, both players competed in all six events, with Zhang edging out the Beijing star in the Omega Order of Merit after a gripping see-saw battle.

Li then won his second Merit title in last year's eight-event Tour with RMB652,125 in prize money, while Zhang was second on RMB559,750 after competing in five tournaments.

The two players are currently well clear of their rivals on this year's Omega Order of Merit. Wu Weihuang, a former Kung Fu champion, rose to third on the Merit list with RMB35,180 after finishing fourth at the Dell Championship in his native Xiamen to earn RMB22,000.

Zhou Xunshu, the former golf course security guard, is a surprise name at number four with RMB28,500. The 35-year-old finished joint-sixth in Guangzhou and tied-eighth in Xiamen, having previously only finished in the top-10 twice in the past three seasons.

March 31, 2008

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