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China Omega Tour Opens with Aussie Lane in Lead
Josh Lane leads after the first round of the China Golf Tour event at Luxehills
06.11.2009 – Fast Lane leads Luxehills with opening 65 in Chengdu
June 11, 2009: Australian Josh Lane made a fast start to his Omega China Tour debut by shooting a seven-under-par, bogey-free 65 for a one-stroke lead in the first round of the RMB1 million Luxehills Golf Championship in Chengdu .
Zhang Chengwei and Chen Jian both shot 66 at the Luxehills International Country Club, finishing one ahead of China team amateur David Wei Wei, Zhou Xunshu and Wu Kangchun, the 2007 Sofitel Golf Championship winner.
Previous Omega China Tour champions Liao Guiming, Zhou Jun and Wu Weihuang all shot 68 to share seventh spot with He Shaocai and Australian Tristan Lambert.
Australian Kurt Barnes, winner of April’s Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open in Nanjing , tied for 12th after a round of 69 that included six birdies and a hat-trick of bogeys.
Lane, 33, is one of nine PGA Tour of Australasia pros in the record 150-strong field and the Melbourne-born Sydney resident made the most of the calm morning conditions to shoot seven birdies, including on three of the four par-fives.
“The conditions were perfect and I’m really happy, especially as this is my first visit to China . I kept the ball in play, avoided problems and did nothing silly,” Lane said. “It’s a good course for scoring, as the fairways are pretty generous and the greens are big. The greens are running perfectly.”
Lane, a poker enthusiast, singled out a 15-foot birdie putt on hole six as one of the highlights of his round and admitted he was surprised he scored so low.
“Staying aggressive and committing to putts was the key. I holed a birdie putt on six that was about 15 feet but had about 15 feet of break,” joked Lane, who teed off on 10.
“A few of us played on Tuesday and we weren’t making many birdies, so I’ve spent a lot of time practising on the greens and reading the grain.”
Zhang’s bogey-free round started with an eagle at the par-five first after putting his three-iron approach to 15 feet, and four birdies later he was congratulated by many of his fellow mainland pros as he found himself in unfamiliar territory.
“This is my best score on the Omega China Tour and the first time I’ve been on the leaderboard,” said the Beijing-based 26-year-old, whose only top-10 finish on the Omega China Tour was in Hainan in 2005
“I drove the ball well today and that’s an advantage on this layout. It’s a beautiful course and it suits my game. I was really relaxed.”
Chen’s six-under score bettered by one his first round at the season-opening Dell Championship in Xiamen , and he rued a bogey on eight, his penultimate hole, that prevented him from sharing the lead.
“I hit 17 greens in regulation today, so I’m really happy. I also started well in Xiamen as I’m usually well rested and relaxed before a tournament,” said Chen, a Kunming-based teaching pro.
Wei is one of four national team players competing at Luxehills, where he finished joint ninth last September as the China amateurs made their Omega China Tour debut in spectacular fashion.
“I’m really happy with my round today,” said Wei, 27. “I hope to keep a good position going into the weekend, as it will be great to play in front of large crowds and live television.”
Fellow China national team amateurs Zhang Xinjun (70), fourth last year, Huo Wei (72) and Kevin Huang Wenyi (72) also benefited from spending last week practising at Luxehills.
Zhou, 36, started last season with two top-10 finishes and rediscovered his form with an impressive 67, which included four birdies on the back nine.
“My mental game was great,” said the former golf course security guard. “The technical side of my game has been fine, but I’ve let myself down with my mental game. I really felt an improvement, more steady and relaxed.”
Defending champion Tsai Chi-huang, fellow Chinese Taipei invite Lu Wen-teh and Qualifying School winner C.J. Gatto all shot 71 to lie in a share of 33rd.
The CCTV Golf and Tennis Channel, Shanghai Sports Channel and Shenzhen Sports Channel will air live coverage of the Luxehills Golf Championship on Saturday and Sunday from 1.00-3.00pm.
Live television marks a significant step for the Omega China Tour, which this year has featured record purses and invited pros from the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Mercedes-Benz Tour of Southeast Asia.
Luxehills Golf Championship, Chengdu , Omega China Tour
Leading first-round scores (par 72; Chinese unless stated):
65 - Josh Lane (AUS)
66 - Zhang Chengwei, Chen Jian
67 - Zhou Xunshu, Wu Kangchun, David Wei Wei (A)
68 - He Shaocai, Tristan Lambert (AUS), Wu Weihuang, Liao Guiming, Zhou Jun
69 - Anthony Brown (AUS), Kevin Chen (USA), Xing Xiaoxuan, Kurt Barnes (AUS), Hou Jian, Liu Guojie, Huang Yonghuan, Xu Qin
70 - Kelvin Jones (NZL), Wu Xujun, Kong Weihai, Liu Anlin, Michael Moore (AUS), Chen Xiaoma, Zhang Xinjun (A), Li Kang, Gao Jie, Lucas Bates (AUS), Dai Shuxing, Liu Qing, Yuan Tian
Selected scores:
71 - Tsai Chi-huang (TPE), Lu Wen-teh (TPE), C.J. Gatto (USA), Jim Johnson (USA), Shang Lei
72 - Li Chao, Wong Woon-man (HKG), Goh Kun Yang (SIN), Rowan Beste (AUS), Han Ren (A)
73 - Su Dong, Lee Joung-wook (KOR)
74 - Tang Shing-chi (HKG), Tom Prowse (AUS)
75 - Brad Andrews (AUS), Max Kellner (GER)
77 - Andrew Good (ENG)
78 - Paul Riley (AUS)
80 - Park Sang-hun (KOR)
82 - Phil Luke (AUS)
Updates will be available at China Golf
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