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Liang joins growing call for Olympic golf

Chinese star Liang Wen-chong has joined the recent chorus of calls for the inclusion of golf into the Olympics programme and believes that Asia stands to gain from such a move.

After shooting a second successive one-under-par 71 in the BMW Asian Open on Friday to stay in contention, Liang said that he would support an initiative to push for golf to be reinstated in the world’s greatest sporting spectacle.

Liang, who learned the game as a teenager, said: “Everybody knows that the Olympics is the biggest event in the world and happens once every four years. It’ll be a big plus if golf is included into the Olympic Games. I’m sure all the sports bodies will promote the game even more, especially in China.”

China’s capital of Beijing will host the Olympics in August and there have been recent suggestions asking the International Olympic Council (IOC) to reinstate golf into the Games. Golf was last played in the Olympics in 1904 and the earliest that it can get back into the Olympics was 2016.

Liang said it was also his dream to be a part of the Olympic Torch Run in China next month. “I hope to be involved in the Olympic torch run as that’s the week when I’m at home in Chung Shan. I believe the torch will be in the Guangdong area during that week but I’ve not heard of anything. But I would love to as it’s such a huge event,” said Liang.

In windy conditions, the reigning Asian Tour number one carded three birdies against two bogeys to lie three off the lead held by Robert-Jan Derksen of the Netherlands.

“It’s a lot windier compared to yesterday. The course played a lot tougher. Although I had a few birdies, I dropped quite a few shots as well. I wasn’t happy with my bogeys on the 15th and 16th (on his front nine). I didn’t lay up well on 15 and had a three putt on 16,” said Liang.

He feels that his game is moving in the right direction following a tied 12th finish on the USPGA Tour last month and a tied eighth in Beijing last weekend. Liang said he put himself under pressure after earning the invitation to compete in the US Masters which he missed the halfway cut two weeks ago.

“After I received the invite to the Masters, I had a lot of thoughts in my mind on how to prepare for such a big tournament,” said Liang.

“It kind of got me confused and made me impatient but after playing in a couple of events in the US and the 12th place finish in New Orleans, it was good as it gave me a lot of confidence. Last week, I was in the top-10 and now I’m in the weekend cut. I’m confident my game is coming back and that it’ll get better and better,” said Liang.

April 25 , 2008