2006 China Tour Sofitel Golf Championship - Round 3: Liao will lead three generation final group on Sunday

Making the most of a humid ‘moving day’ in Nanjing, 42-year-old Zhang Lianwei shot a five-under-par 67 to lie three strokes behind leader Liao Guiming and one ahead of teenager Su Dong going into the final round of the Sofitel Golf Championship, the fifth stop on this year’s Omega China Tour.

The 30-year-old Liao, who shared the halfway lead with Su, posted a 69 to go 12-under-par at the beautiful Nanjing Zhongshan International Golf Club, named the Omega China Tour’s Best Venue of the Year in 2007.

Su, 18, was his usual relaxed self after a 73, which left the Vancouver-based amateur on eight-under and five clear of Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Chi-huang, who shot a 74.

Liao’s third successive round in the 60s put him in a position to win his first Omega China Tour title after 10 top-10 finishes in 20 events.

Joint runner-up in last week’s Shanghai Championship, Liao will have to hold off the challenge of playing partners Zhang, part of China’s first generation of professionals, and Su, one of the emerging third generation.

“I’m satisfied with my 69 today, but disappointed with my three-putt bogey on six,” said Liao, who missed a two-footer for par. “My irons were great and I only missed two greens all day.

“I’ve played with Zhang Lianwei many times in the past, but never in the final flight on the final day. We have a good relationship and I also get on very well with Su Dong, so tomorrow should be fun,” added Liao, who played with Zhang in the first and second rounds.

Zhang created the clash of the ‘three generations’ after he bagged five birdies against one bogey on the back nine and is now looking for his seventh title in his 15th appearance on the circuit.

“I played very well, with my three-putt bogey on 17 my only mistake. I’m happy, especially as I was only one-under after the front nine. I’m still three shots behind, so I’ll have to work hard to get ahead. Liao Guiming is putting very well, but I think one of the three of us should win.”

A legend in Chinese golf since turning pro in 1994, Zhang has taken Su under his wing in the past few months, with the teenager carrying his bag in the Volvo China Open and BMW Asian Open recently.

“We’re good friends and often practise together. I know on the driving range and through practice rounds how far he hits the ball, so I’ve been learning from him in this respect,” Zhang smiled. “We’ll have dinner tonight and talk about preparing for the final round. I hope we all score well.”

Su’s best finish on the Omega China Tour was in last month’s Kunming Championship, when he finished third behind Chinese Taipei’s Lu Wen-teh and 16-year-old Benny Ye Jianfeng, another of China’s ‘new generation’ of teenage stars along with 18-year-old Hu Mu.

“Today, I felt relaxed but I was rushing my swing on my approach shots. I drove well again, but my short game was off. Professionals stay steady when it comes to the last rounds or in pressure situations,” Su said.

“In October, my knees were shaking on the first tee when I played with Zhang and Li Chao in the third round of the Omega Championship in Beijing. I knew all about Zhang then, but not personally as a friend. Now, we get on really well and have become good friends, so I won’t be nervous on Sunday.”

Sofitel Golf Championship, Omega China Tour

Leading third-round scores - Chinese unless stated (click here for full leaderboard):

204 - Liao Guiming 66-69-69
207 - Zhang Lianwei 72-68-67
208 - James Su Dong (A) 68-67-73
213 - Tsai Chi-huang (TPE) 72-67-74
214 - He Shaocai 73-72-69, Qiu Zhifeng 71-73-70
215 - Ryan Huang Yonghuan 72-73-70, Shang Lei 73-70-72, Ye Xionghui 67-75-73, Liu Junfeng 72-69-74
216 - Gu Cuilin 74-65-77, Li Chao 68-76-72, Dominique Boulet (HKG) 77-67-72
217 - Deng Yonghong 72-76-69, Chen Xiaoma 72-73-72, Nick Redfern (ENG) 69-74-74, Xia Zhengrong 71-71-75, Yuan Zheng 73-69-75
218 - Yuan Tian 74-73-71, Alex Wu Ashun 73-73-72, Jason Robertson (RSA) 70-76-72

Selected scores:

219 - Zhang Xinjun (A) 74-70-73
220 - Jim Johnson (USA) 74-70-76
221 - Yuan Hao 73-73-74
222 - Wong Woon-man (HKG) 72-76-74, Wu Kangchun 77-72-73
223 - Wu Weihuang 75-73-75

May 24, 2006

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