Liang's Singapore win a boost for Chinese golf

BY Bruce Young | Asian Tour | 2007 Singapore Masters | Wrap | 11 Mar 2007

The Clariden Leu Singpaore Masters was won by the Chinese golfer, Liang Wen-Chong, who parred the first extra hole to beat Malaysian based golfer, Iain Steel, in a playoff to record his most significant win in tournament golf.

It was the second win by a Chinese golfer in this event and the second by a Chinese golfer on the European Tour. In 2003 Lian Wei Zhang won this event when he overcame Ernie Els in the final round but today it was the 28 year old Liang who prevailed.

Several players had their chances over the closing holes but the ’what ifs’ mattered little as Liang held the trophy aloft and added further credibility to the growing strength of Chinese golf.

Liang has played the Japan Golf Tour in recent years with a significant level of success although he has yet to win there. Last year he recorded five top five finishes in Japan and was clearly a player capable of winning at a high level. This week he proved just that.

28 year old Liang, who had finished 5th at this event in 2005, has created yet another golfing idol for the emerging market that is Chinese golf to follow and his win ensures he has access to the European Tour for thee next three years. Liang has won several events in China but this is a victory that will change his life and the perspective of golf in China.

Steel has a Scottish father but has played his golf in the US prior to joining the Asian Tour in 2005. This was a playoff loss that will cost him dearly as a win this week would have opened up so many opportunities for him to play in Europe.

Liang led into the final day along with Englishman Gary Lockerbie but it would be Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee who appeared to take control early on the final day when he raced to the turn in 32 an stood at 13 under as he headed into the back nine. Jaidee shared the lead at that point with Liang and Steel at 13 under but there were several others in close proximity as the tournament entered its final nine holes.

No sooner had Jaidee, as one of Asia’s foremost golfers in recent years, thrown down the gauntlet to those behind than he began to self destruct. The Thai golfer almost inexplicably bogeyed six of his first eight holes over the back nine and fell back to record a round of 74 and would eventually finish 14th.

Enter Liang and Steel. Liang took the lead outright when he birdied the par four 10th to move to 13under, but when he took bogey at the 13th and a double at the 15th he dropped out of the lead as Steel, moved to12 under with a birdie at the 15th before he too got the wobbles with a double at the 16th. Liang bounced back with a birdie at the 16th to regain a share of the lead but he was not able to close the deal in regulation play. Liang was able to close the tournament out however with a par at the first extra hole as Steel found the water with his tee shot.

Asian specialist, Simon Dyson, had himself moved to 12 under before a bogey at the 16th left him one short of the playoff.

Jean Van de Velde, Anthony Wall, David Lynn and course specialist and previous winner, Nick Dougherty, finished in a share of fourth. Dougherty who won here in 2005 and finished runner up last year had taken the lead himself with three holes to play before double bogeys at his 16th and 17th holes cost him dearly. He had three double bogeys in all on day four.

Australia’s Asian Tour specialist, Terry Pilkadaris, had himself moved into contention for the title when he turned in 32 and had created the possibility of European Tour status for himself at that point. Like Jaidee, however, the Melbourne golfer fell victim to a horror back nine of 40 and his chance was gone. He was, however, along with Scott Barr, the best of the Australians in 8th place.

The co leader at the 54 hole mark, Gary Lockerbie, dropped eight shots in his first eleven holes today and at last round of 80 to finish 30th will leave him in tatters tonight. So too will be Jyoti Rhandawa who had his chances of victory before a dropping four shots in his last eight holes including a costly double bogey at the 17th to eventually finish at eight under in 8th place and three behind the playoff.

The Australians, after Barr and Pilkadaris, were headed by Peter Senior, Peter O’Malley and Scott Strange in 14th place.

The European Tour will once again join forces with the Asian Tour next week in China as the TCL Classic on Hainan Island continues the European Tour’s swing in Asia.