Twelve years after Zhang Lianwei represented his country at the
1995 World Cup at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, the Chinese
golfer is making a sentimental return to his homeland. He will
compete this year in the 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup in
Shenzhen, from November 22 to 25.
China finished 27th in 1995. But Zhang, who has partnered with
Liang Wenchong, said he will try his best to place higher this time
around.
"It is truly an honor for me to partner with Liang Wenchong to
represent China at the World Cup," Zhang said yesterday in Beijing.
"The competition will be extremely tough with so many world class
golfers participating but the World Cup is unique from other
professional tournaments and I will strive my best to demonstrate
the class of Chinese golf. Both Liang and I look forward to playing
in front of our home galleries."
China's delegation represents a combination of young and old -
Zhang, the first Chinese golfer to win the European Tour, and
Liang, who won the European Tour earlier this season in
Singapore.
This year's World Cup will attract players from 28 nations and
regions. After two qualifying tournaments in Asia and Latin America
last weekend, a high-quality field has now been confirmed for the
World Cup.
Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng led the way at
the Fortis International Challenge with a victory in the Asian
qualifier in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The Netherlands, New Zealand,
South Korea and the Philippines also secured World Cup berths in
Malaysia.
Meanwhile, Puerto Rico won the Omega Mission Hills World Cup
Aruba Qualifier in the Dutch Caribbean to secure its place in the
field alongside Ireland, Colombia, Italy and Paraguay.
This year's World Cup will boast a host of global champions,
with Germany defending its title from last December's tournament in
Barbados. This year, Germany sends its emerging star Martin Kaymer
and veteran Alex Cejka to the tournament.
Two-time US Open champion Retief Goosen of South Africa will
partner with countryman Trevor Immelman. Course designer Jose Maria
Olazabal of Spain and Mike Weir of Canada - both previous Masters
champions - will team up with Miguel Angel Jimnez and Wes
Heffernan, respectively.
Goosen and Immelman have both tasted World Cup success in the
past. Goosen was part of South Africa's victorious team in Japan in
2001, while Immelman won at Kiawah Island four years ago.
Goosen is the second player after Zhang Lianwei to make a return
to Mission Hills, where he led South Africa to an eighth-place
finish in 1995.
The 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup will launch a new era in
the history of the event, which was first played in 1953 as the
Canada Cup. Omega and Mission Hills have agreed to host the event
until at least 2018. Mission Hills is the club that introduced the
game of golf to China when it first hosted the World Cup in
1995.
John Jay Hopkins, the noted Canadian industrialist, believed
that golf could promote goodwill between nations when he envisioned
the Canada Cup, held in Montreal in 1953. The event was re-titled
the World Cup in 1967.
(China Daily October 18, 2007)
