BEIJING: Defending champion and local favourite Liang Wenchong will have to defeat former Major winners Charl Schwartzel and Darren Clarke if he is to retain the Nanshan China Masters starting today.
The Chinese golf star won last year’s tournament in gripping style, playing the 18th with South Korea’s YE Yang five times before coming out on top.
This year’s field at the $1m OneAsia event includes Schwartzel and Clarke, who won the US Masters and Open Championship respectively in 2011.
But Liang is looking forward to playing with the pair at Nanshan International Golf Club’s Montgomerie course in the eastern province of Shandong.
“I’m definitely looking forward to playing with such great champions -- especially if we get the chance to play together in the same flight,” said Liang, who is ranked 155 in the world.
“In my experience of partnering big players like this, the key is their ability to regulate themselves and get it up-and-down even if they aren’t familiar with the course. That is what I will try to do.” AFP
