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Zhang Wei strikes first drive of China Tour

"Zhang Wei! You've got the first shot of the tour! You're honoured!" laughed Cao Zhiqiang as his playing partner Zhang Wei joined him on the first tee of the Elephant Golf Club in Langfang.

"Maybe someone else could do it?" the 32 year old retorted swiftly, without cracking a smile.

It was the only trace of nerves Zhang showed. Two languid swings later he stepped up and with a fluid stroke dispatched the ball 270 yards, drawing it slightly into the middle of the first fairway. With that blow and a barely perceptible nod to acknowledge the applause, the inaugural event of the China Tour - the US$100,000 Beijing Leg - was underway.

Born in Inner Mongolia in the very north of China, but based at Shenzhen's Hanggang Golf Club in the very south, geographically Zhang couldn't be more extreme, but his place in the group was as the middle man.

His playing partners, 34 year old Zheng Hongtao and 29 year old Cao Zhiqiang were selected so the first grouping represented the three waves of Chinese professional golfers. For the record all followed Zhang's lead, finding the fairway and completing the 356 yard par 4 hole with a symmetry matching their age and experience. Zheng made birdie, Zhang claimed a par and Cao a bogey.

"We picked Zheng Hongtao to represent the oldest generation. Zhang Wei represents the second generation and Cao Zhiqiang, who only turned professional two years ago, is one of the new generation. It has significant meaning; each player can represent the different elements of our history," said Song Liangliang, the deputy secretary general of the China Golf Association, of the symbolic first flight of golfers in this latest attempt to create a successful domestic circuit in China.

"According to the history of the development of golf in China, we had the first attempt in 1995 with the Volvo China Tour and the second try in 1999 was the China PGA League. The China Tour is the latest development. We should respect the history, but golf is growing up and up. We have the China Tour because everyone understands the importance of improving professional golf in China," said Song, before downplaying the significance of Zhang Wei's historic first blow.

"It's just the beginning," he said. "My focus on our partners and our sponsors - they contribute to the tour. This is more meaningful than the first shot of the tour. Who wins the tournament is also more important than the first shot."

The Beijing Leg, which had been threatened with a first day washout after torrential rain all day on Tuesday, began on schedule with 81 players, a mixture of registered tournament professionals and some professional coaches as well as a smattering of amateurs. The Tour, which will offer the same prize money at all four stops this year, moves to Kunming in the southwestern province of Yunnan in September, while the following months are pencilled in for Guangdong province in the south and Shanghai on the east coast.

August 17, 2005