2007 China Tour Yanji Golf Championship

The cream of China’s professional golfers compete in the northern most stop on the Omega China Tour this week in the US$100,000 Yanji Golf Championship, which lies near the border with North Korea - the country that once announced to the world that their leader Kim Jong-il shot 11 holes in one during his first ever round at Pyongyang Golf Club.

The amazing story was an attempt by the government to boost his personality cult while this week aces are much more likely to be a reality when what is the fourth leg of this year’s circuit tees off at Yanji Harangang Golf Resort.

Wu Kangchun, Yuan Hao and Li Chao currently ranked second, third and fourth respectively on the Omega Order of Merit, all took time out today to drive to the North Korean border.

Yuan, the undisputed biggest hitter on tour, could have launched one of his massive drives across the river that separates China from North Korea but instead posed for photographers and preserved his energy for Thursday’s start.

While Wu claimed the season-opening Sofitel Golf Championship and Li has won four times, Yuan is still looking for his first win but he is the man many people have their eye on at the moment.

He played in the final pairing in the Sofitel Golf Championship and finished third and was in the last group in the Guangzhou Leg, where he placed second behind Omega Order of Merit leader Zhang Lianwei.

“I have been a professional for three years now and the story so far has me always shooting a good front nine but then playing poorly on the back nice. That happened in the two events I came close to winning this year. I haven’t figured out yet why it has been that way,” said Yuan.

In Guangzhou he hit his tee shots 40 yards past Zhang but came home second best. Zhang is not playing this week and with a golf course that suits Yuan’s game like his glove fits his hand he could well be in the final pairing once again.

The Mountain Course is a lengthy 7,250 yards. The opening hole is a 617-yard par-five – the longest par five played in the three-year history of the tour.

In addition the ninth is a 498-yard par-four – which makes it the lengthiest par four the tour has seen.

The course also befits its name with its high peaks, valleys and lakes making it scenically spectacular.

“I am an attacking player which probably explains why I always have a good front nine as I attack from the first and fade on the back. I just need to keep putting myself into position to win and eventually I’ll finish first,” added Yuan.

Yuan has earned approximately US$19,717 from three events this season, while Zhang who triumphed in the last two events has won about US$51,402.

This week’s tournament also sees the return of Ye Jianfeng - the 15-year-old wonder kid who finished in fourth place in the Sofitel Golf Championship

The amateur, who led at the halfway mark in the season-opening event, skipped the past two events due to amateur competitions and schooling and so will be eager to pick up where he left off the last time he played on tour.

July 11, 2007

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