Star amateur Zhang Xinjun and his China teammates are practising hard in Chengdu in the hope of competing at next week's RMB1 million Luxehills Golf Championship on the Omega China Tour.
A seven-strong men's national team, with ages ranging from 15 to 27, began a week-long training camp at the Luxehills International Country Club on June 1. Four will be selected to compete at the third event on this year's Omega China Tour, which will be held from June 11-14.
Zhang, 21, made headlines at Luxehills last September as the China team competed on the Tour for the first time. Zhang led after the second and third rounds before finishing fourth, while Benny Ye Jianfeng, Kevin Huang Wenyi, David Wei Wei and Huo Wei finished fifth, sixth, ninth and 13th respectively.
Zhang, Huang, Wei and Huo are back at Luxehills along with 15-year-old Liu Yuxiang, who also played last year, Arthur Xiao Se and Zhou Guowu. National team coach Jim Johnson said the team would be working on their short game before the chosen quartet compete with the pros next week.
"The players have good memories of Luxehills, as Zhang Xinjun almost won last year and Huang Wenyi, Wei Wei and Huo Wei had solid performances. Our main focus is to keep improving their skills as we target next year's Asian Games in Guangzhou," said the American, who played all four rounds at the 1998 U.S. Open.
"A good amount of time at Luxehills will be spent on the short game, as the practice facilities are among the best in China, especially for short-game work. The course is also excellent. Luxehills is one of the finest golf developments in China , in my opinion."
The national team have been allocated a number of spots at each of this year's Omega China Tour events and Yang Jie of the China Golf Association was happy to see the team making the most of the Luxehills facilities ahead of next week's event.
"The Luxehills camp is part of the team's year-long schedule and I know the players will benefit from their time in Chengdu," Yang said. "Since Jim Johnson started coaching the men's team, they've had a structured training schedule covering all parts of the game. The players have already become physically stronger."
Johnson, a Beijing-based coach who competed regularly on last year's Omega China Tour, was appointed earlier this year and is targeting a good performance in September's Asia-Pacific Amateur Golf Team Championship (Nomura Cup) in South Korea.
"We have a good team in place. The players work hard and have good potential," said Johnson, who also teaches at Beijing Honghua International Golf Club.
"In China, the main thing golfers lack is experience, so we're looking to play in as many Omega China Tour events as possible. They're professionally run and provide good competition at some of the best courses in China."
Chinese Taipei's Tsai Chi-huang will be among the favorites at Luxehills after winning last year's event with a Tour-record 18-under total of 270. Liao Guiming and Yuan Hao, second and third last year, are also in the field.
Zhang Lianwei, a six-time Omega China Tour champion, eight-time winner Li Chao, Asian Tour star Alex Wu Ashun and a 10-strong contingent from the PGA Tour of Australasia will all be making their Luxehills debut next week. The field will also include 10 foreigners from Qualifying School and up to two invites from each of Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Macau.
(Xinhua News Agency June 4, 2009)
