While more than 30 years separates the oldest and youngest players in this week’s Volvo China Open Qualifying, age will be the last thing on their respective minds as they battle to tame the aptly named Moon Course at Lion Lake Country Club.
Memories of last year’s brutal weather conditions are still fresh in most players’ minds. Yuan Tian, the eventual winner, punched the air in delight at managing to achieve a four-over-par total of 148 (74, 74), a score that under normal conditions would have had him in despair.
The weather promises to be more kind this week but with the large contoured greens running much faster than usual, it will take the most delicate of putting strokes to tame the majestic Moon Course.
“If anything, the greens will be more of a challenge than last year,” said Alistair Polson, Project Director – Operations, for the Volvo China Open. “Last year the rain helped to slow down the pace of the greens, but this year it’s been cold and dry and so we have very fast putting surfaces that will certainly sort out the very good putters from the simply good ones.”
This week’s field is one of the strongest ever assembled, with last year’s winner, the colourful Yuan Tian, returning, as well as former US Collegiate players, Hu Mu and Han Ren, now both pros.
They will battle for honours against the highly experienced ‘old guard’ of Liao Gui-ming, Wu Kang-chun and Kong Wei-hai. Shenzhen’s Liu Guo-jie also makes a welcome return having played his first professional event on the Volvo China Tour some 17 years ago in 1995.
However, much of the interest will be focused on China’s highly talented junior duo of World Junior Champion, 13-year-old Guan Tian-lang, and 16-year-old Liang Ce. With the opportunity of a place in the RMB 20 million Volvo China Open at stake, this week’s event will be a true test of nerves.
Beijing-born Zhang Jun-tao, also 16, has flown in from Austin, Texas to try to qualify for the Volvo China Open, and enjoyed a practice round today under the watchful eye of Lion Lake club coach Gu Peng.
“I played in the Beijing qualifier a couple of years ago but didn’t play all that well, said Zhang. “I’m a member of my high school golf team and I play in quite a few US junior events, so I’m a much better player than when I tried to qualify before.
“Last year I shot 64 in a junior tournament so I’m gaining more confidence the more I play and compete. I now need to learn how to win.”
Also full of confidence is Chung Shan-based Zhou Guo-wu, who began playing golf at the age of 12 and was one of the original members of Liang Wen-chong’s junior golf foundation.
Zhou, 22, won the China Amateur Open in Nanhai in 2009 and turned pro last year.
“I’m learning a lot more about the game of golf with each tournament I play in,” said Zhou, who birdied two of his first three holes in practice today. “Every course is different and the types of grass used varies from course to course, so conditions are never the same.
“I’ve been playing for 10 years now so I’m confident about my ability to score well in tournaments. I shot 66 to be the first round leader in an event at Tianan Golf Club in Beijing last year, and that told me that I have what it takes to earn a living as a tournament pro.”
2012-02-13
