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Zhang and Liang for China at World Cup

Liang Wenchong and Zhang Lianwei, who between them have won nine titles on the Omega China Tour, will again team up to represent hosts China in next month's Omega Mission Hills World Cup. Lu Wen-teh, who won April's Kunming Championship on the Chinese circuit, will represent Chinese Taipei with Lin Wen-tang.

The 28 nations, comprising 18 exempt countries, the host nation and nine qualifiers, will line up on the Olazabal Course at Mission Hills from November 27-30, all hoping to win the lions' share of the US$5.5 million prize fund.

Liang, who won last weekend's Hero Honda Indian Open on the Asian Tour, and veteran Zhang, who competed in the first World Cup at Mission Hills in 1995, will be hoping to improve on their joint-11th place finish last year and break into the top-10 for the first time.

Liang, 30, and Zhang, 43, will be looking to follow China's record-breaking feat at this year's Olympic Games. China topped the medal standings with its greatest haul of gold medals ever and expectations of their sporting heroes are now at an all-time high.

"As Chinese, we are all very proud of our country's glorious achievements at the recent Olympic Games," said Liang, who's currently trying to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit for the second successive year.

"It'll be fantastic if we can raise the standards and profile of golf on the global stage, very much like what our other fellow country sportsmen have done."

October 17, 2008