Singapore champion Liang chasing home win in Shanghai
Liang Wenchong will attempt to claim an unlikely double this week by adding the Volvo China Open title to his Singapore Masters victory last month.
"All Chinese players dream of winning the China Open but you can never force it to happen in this game," the 28-year-old told the European Tour's official website
"You can't predict when this will happen, you just have to keep trying which is what I'll do."
Liang has special memories of finishing fourth as an amateur in the 1999 edition at Shanghai Silport Golf Club, the venue again this week. The event tees off today.
In the 13-year history of the China Open, which became part of the European Tour schedule at the start of the 2005 season, there have only been two home wins.
Cheng Jun picked up the trophy in 1997 while Zhang Lianwei achieved his own China Open-Singapore Masters double in 2003.
Now he has emulated Zhang by winning a tournament co-sanctioned by the European and Asian tours, Liang intends to follow closely in his mentor's footsteps.
"Zhang has done so much for golf in China, not just for me," said Liang. "He has been a big brother to me, he helped my game when I first started."
The 41-year-old Zhang, who is also playing in Shanghai, said Liang deserved his breakthrough victory in Singapore.
"It's his own hard work which has finally paid off ... I think he is the hardest worker out there right now," said Zhang, who in 2004 became the first Chinese player to compete in the US Masters.
Among Liang's title rivals this week will be South African Anton Haig and Thailand's Chapchai Nirat.
Haig plays in Asia for the first time since winning last month's Johnnie Walker Classic in Thailand where the 20-year-old beat a field including his idols Ernie Els and Retief Goosen.
Chapchai, 23, is gunning for a second title in China after securing his maiden victory at the TCL Classic in March.
The Open is celebrating its 13th edition this year with a record prize fund of $2 million in total prize money.
Agencies
(China Daily 04/12/2007 page22)
