Chen to compete in 'bamboo country'
Tough competition at fourth stop on Omega China Golf Tour
06.17.2009 – June 17, 2009: Chen Jian, Luxehills Champion, has been named one of the favorites at this week''s Dongfeng Nissan Teana Open. This is the first Omega China Tour event in Zhejiang province and boasts a total prize amount of RMB700,000.
Chen, 34, became the circuit’s most surprising winner when he beat former Asian Tour player Rowan Beste in a play-off to win last week’s Luxehills Golf Championship in Chengdu , four years after his last top-10 finish on the Tour.
The Kunming-based teaching pro competes this week on another Mark Hollinger layout at the new Anji King Valley Country Club, where most of the challenges lie on the sloping greens, most notably the treacherous ninth and 18th holes.
“ King Valley is not long but it’s quite difficult, especially on the greens. You really need to pay attention on every stroke, especially on your approach shots, as you can roll off the greens,” said Chen, who featured in a pre-event photo shoot at the Anji Bamboo Forest with Australian Kurt Barnes.
“It was overwhelming to win in Chengdu , but this week is a new beginning. I need to forget about last week and start again. There are many top players who can win, especially at this tournament,” added Chen, who will play the first two rounds with Dell winner Wu Weihuang and national team amateur Huang Wenyi.
Liao Guiming, who finished fourth last week, played with Chen in the third round in Chengdu and witnessed his friend’s improved short game.
“We supported each other during the round and his 68 put him in the final flight on Sunday. His putting and chipping are very good now,” said Liao, the reigning Omega Order of Merit winner.
“Chen Jian has played many events on the Omega China Tour, and his victory was a reward for how hard he has been working on his game.”
Liao agreed this week’s tournament could be won on the greens. “This is the first golf course in China surrounded by bamboo,” he said. “It’s beautiful and offers a lot of great views of the mountains, but the greens are very difficult, especially holes nine and 18.”
Liao has been drawn with big-hitting Kurt Barnes, winner of April’s Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open, and Thailand ’s Thaworn Wiratchant, the 10-time Asian Tour winner making his Omega China Tour debut. Barnes, who finished joint-fifth last week, looked forward to playing in an international flight.
“Thaworn’s a top player. He has a very unusual swing and Anji Putting style, but obviously it works. He seems to hole everything,” said Barnes, one of nine PGA Tour of Australasia pros in the field.
“You don’t need to be long on this course, but the closer you can get to the greens, the easier it is to put the ball where you want. I’m in good form so I hope to be challenging this weekend.”
Zhang Yongjiang, Director of Anji King Valley Country Club, said this week’s event was a big boost for Anji and Zhejiang province.
“This is a great occasion as it’s the first major professional golf tournament in Zhejiang ,” Zhang said. “Anji is renowned as ‘bamboo country’ so it’s a very beautiful natural environment, so I’m really happy the Omega China Tour players have the chance to play here.”
Dongfeng Nissan, a joint-venture company that produces Nissan cars for sale in China , is the first automobile manufacturer to sponsor an Omega China Tour event. Nissan Teana cars are on display at the 10th and eight tees, with the latter hole, a 231-yard par-three, offering the new model as a hole-in-one prize.
“This is the first anniversary of the Nissan Teana car being on sale in China and this week we have launched the new version of the Nissan Teana,” said Denise Guo, Deputy General Manager, Marketing Department, Dongfeng Nissan.
“Despite the economic recession, Nissan sales have been great on the mainland, which is why we’re supporting the Omega China Tour, as it has a nationwide platform. Golfers and Nissan Teana owners have a similar profile.”
This week features one of the Omega China Tour’s most competitive fields due to a particularly strong foreign contingent. Thaworn is one of five Mercedes-Benz Tour pros from Southeast Asia along with compatriots Wisut Artjanawat and Pariya Junhasavasdikul - both of whom also play on the Asian Tour - and Singaporeans Goh Kun Yang and Choo Tze Huang.
Five time Asian Tour Champion and third place winner at Luxehills last week, Lu Wen-Teh is one of two Chinese Taipei invites along with Lin Wen-hong, the reigning UBS Hong Kong Open champion.
www.omegachinatour.com
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- Champion Chen says beware of greens in 'bamboo country,' at the Dongfeng Nissan Teana Open of Omega China Golf Tour
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- Chen Jian tagged one of the week's favourites for the Dongfeng Nissan Teana Open
- Chen is last week's Luxehills Golf Champion in Chengdu
- Dongfeng Nissan is the first automobile manufacturer to sponser an Omega China Tour event
- This week's event presents one of the most competitive group of players in the Omega China Golf Tour
- Lin Wen-Tang, UBS Hong Kong Open champion and Dell winner Wu Weihuang are among the competitors at this event
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