2006 China Tour Guangzhou Championship - Round 3: Xu makes the cut but misses third round

Xu Qin, who was tied for 11th at the halfway stage of the Guangzhou Championship, had a disappointing third day after being disqualified for turning up late for his tee-time, having wrongly assumed when it would be.

Arriving to practise an hour ahead of what he assumed would be his starting time, the 26-year-old realised his mistake and rushed to the first hole but arrived after the five-minute period announced by officials at his flight's scheduled tee-time.

"I was angry at the time, but now I'm just disappointed with myself," said Xu, whose best finish last year was 34th at the Qingdao Championship.

"The main reason I'm disappointed is because I played quite well in the first two rounds and was in a position to make a challenge this weekend. I'm going to put it behind me, make it into a positive experience, and aim for my first top 10 finish, starting at the Dell Championship in two weeks."

In a week in which another player was penalised for slow play, Xu recognised that rules and regulations were tightening on the Tour.

"We must expect this to happen, as this is what happens on the Tours in Europe and the US," said Xu, whose hairstyle matches that of his idol, British golfer Ian Poulter.

"Overall, all the players are learning to be more disciplined and aware of rules, which we'll need if we play overseas."

March 15, 2008