2007 China Tour Yanji Golf Championship - Round 1: Veteran Liu shows the the way

Liu Guojie fought back the years and injury to take the first round lead in the US$100,000 Yanji Golf Championship today at Yanji Harangang Golf Resort, situated near the North Korean border.

The 40 year old carded a one-under-par 71 to lead by a stroke from Huang Mingjie, Wu Weihuang and Fan Zhipeng - in what is the fourth event of the year on the Omega China Tour.

Nursing a dodgy knee, which he has had for years, and a bad wrist, which is the result of too much practice, Liu recorded seven birdies, one double bogey and four bogeys.

Liu is a familiar name in golfing circles on the mainland having been part of the same era that saw the emergence of Zhang Lianwei and Cheng Jun.

However he has been unable to make headway in the game and today marks the first time he has led an event on the Tour.

His best finish came in 2005, the circuit’s inaugural season, when he ended fifth in Beijing.

“I was really confident with my iron play today but I wish I could say the same about my driver,” said Liu.

The Shenzhen-based golfer divides his time between playing and running his own golf management company.

“My dream is to be a coach, one of the best in the country. I want to find the best young players and help them become top professionals,” added Lui.

The Tour witnessed only the second hole in one in its two and a half year history (the first was made in the last month's Guangzhou Leg by Tian Ye) when Zhou Yunfeng aced the 202-yard par-three 15th with a three iron. It was the third hole in one of his career but it did not have a great impact on his round as he shot an 81.

That was the same score surprisingly registered by golfing prodigy Ye Jianfeng. The 15-year-old wonder kid finished in fourth place in the season opening Sofitel Golf Championship as an amateur in May and is making his first appearance since then. However, a 10 on the 617-yard par-five opening hole left him with an uphill battle on the appropriately named Mountain Course.

Zhang Xinjun led the way for the amateurs after shooting a 73. The 39 year old has been enjoying a purple patch recently winning back-to-back amateur titles Qingdao and Nanshan.

Leading First Round Scores (click here for full leaderboard) - Par 72:

71 – Liu Guojie

72 – Huang Mingjie, Wu Weihuang, Fan Zhipeng

73 – Wang Lei, Zhang Xinjun (A), Xiao Zhijin

74 – Yang Shengqin, Wang Huiqiang, Liao Guiming, Li Chao, Zhou Xunshu, Yuan Hao, Chen Xiaoma, Wu Xujun, Liu Jian

(A) denotes amateur

July 12, 2007