2005 China Tour Kunming Leg - Round 3: Qiu snatches dream victory from Liao

Richard Qiu Zhifeng blinked in disbelief and studied the silver trophy in his hands. On a dramatic final day of the China Tour- Kunming Leg, the 26-year-old from Guangdong took advantage of a complete meltdown by second round leader Li Chao and a faltering Liao Guiming to snatch the first victory of his life.

"I want to cry, but the tears won't come," he said. "I called my wife immediately after the tournament, with the trophy in my hand. It felt so sweet. I still haven't got my own house. I plan to use the prize money to buy one."

Qiu, who started the final round two shots behind Li, the champion of the Beijing Leg, and one behind Liao, ground out a two-under-par 70 for his final round finishing on eight-under par to pip Liao by a single stroke.

"I've dreamed of this trophy for many years, but I didn't expect it come here," he said, cradling the cup like a baby.

"I didn't think my second round was good enough. Players like Li Chao have a lot of experience in the Asian Tour and have played at a higher level."

While Li, who was complaining of feeling unwell and tired after playing 15 holes in the morning, went into freefall, dropping nine strokes in the first nine holes on his way to an 81 and a share of tenth place, Qiu entered into a tense struggle with Liao. His key moments were an eagle on the ninth hole, which ended a streak of eight pars, and a birdie on the seventeen that, coupled with Liao's bogey, gave him the one-shot lead he needed.

The RMB150,000 (around US$17,000) prize was assured, as was a remarkable victory and the automatic place in November's HSBC Champions Tournament reserved for the China Tour's champions - all for a player who was on the verge of quitting earlier this year.

"In the past two years I was quite poor and couldn't afford to go to play tournaments outside Guangdong. I needed to make a living. I thought of giving up golf and opening a pro shop," said Qiu who discovered the game when he became a caddy in Guangzhou, and started playing by secretly sneaking onto the course.

"I never dreamed I would be a champion when I took up this game. I didn't study well in school so I went to Guangzhou to work as a caddy at the Luhu golf club. I started to play there in secret. I never dreamed I would be standing here today as a winner. In 2001 I played just one group ahead of Tiger Woods at Mission Hills and now as the champion I have a chance to play and compete with him again. That was my only target this year. I haven't played that much golf for quite a long time. I only restarted my game this June. I am just grateful to the China Tour for giving me the opportunity to play again."

As with the Beijing Leg, all of the top three players earned the biggest cheques of their professional careers. Liao rushed to catch a flight back to Fujian disappointed with the two bogeys in the last two holes as darkness closed in that cost him a win.

In contrast Huang Mingjie, who dropped three shots at the end of his second round in the morning, shot the lowest score of the final round, an impressive four-under-par 68 on greens drying so rapidly that players were reporting three-putting genuine birdie chances.

"The first round I lost many easy shots. This morning I teed off at 7-15 to play 16 holes. I didn't have much breakfast but my body lacked energy that's why towards the end I dropped several shots," the 24-year-old from Sichuan explained.

"After the second round I had a good rest in the locker room and that restored some of my energy. That's why in the third round I played very well."

As for Li Chao, the leader of five of the six China Tour rounds so far, he shrugged his shoulders and promised to be back for October's Zhuhai Leg.

"I was just so tired," he said. "I just lost my feeling for my game."

China Tour - Kunming Leg

Leading final (third) round scores (Par 72)

208 - Qiu Zhifeng 69-69-70
209 - Liao Guiming 70-67-72
211 - Huang Mingjie 71- 72-68
213 - Liu Qiang 71-71-71
214 - Zheng Wengen 73-66-75
215 - Liu Guojie 74-68-73
216 - Fu Xin 74-69-73, Yuan Hao 71-75-70, Chen Jian 71-71-74
217 - Liu Xiao 70-72-75, Wu Weihuang 72-76-69, Li Chao 66-70-81
218 - Lai Yuanlang 71-73-74
219 - Shang Lei 73-73-73, Song Zhiqiang 73-72-74, Tan Yongzong 72-73-74
220 - Huang Yonghuan 73-74-73, Tan Guohua 74-73-73, Zheng Shaoguang 72-74-74
222 - Chen Yu 72-74-76, Liu Xin 75-75-72, Sun Peng 77-71-74, Wang Wei 71-73-78, Zhong Yongguan 73-68-81, Chen Yong 70-77-75
223 - Gu Cuilin 73-77-73, Liu Peiguo 74-76-73, Xu Qin 71-77-75, Deng Yonghong 76-73-74

September 24, 2005

Bookmark page with:

Return to Top of Page