Liang wins China Tour Championship then hands back cheque

31 Oct, 2006

Rising talent Liang Wengchong won the China Tour Championship by 12 shots at the weekend before returning the 150,000 yuan ($19,050) winner's cheque to help the development of fellow Chinese golfers.
The 28-year-old has enjoyed the best season of his career, including a fourth place finish at last month's Singapore Open, before returning to play the last tournament of the China Tour's second year at the Tianan Course in Beijing.
"It's the least I can do," Liang told the Tour's official Web site. "I want to offer to help. Maybe we could set up a foundation or a system to assist talented young players to go abroad and play and to experience the high standard of events like I have done."
Liang said he had also benefitted from a lot of assistance and support. "I feel this is the right time for me to at least do something for the rest of China's players and hopefully this will help those players who need the financial aid to get out there and play."
The China Tour was established last year by the China Golf Association (CGA) with the aim of giving local players regular tournament experience outside the big co-sanctioned events, where Chinese have little chance of success.
World number one Tiger Woods heads the field at the $5 million Champions Tournament in Shanghai next week but Liang thinks such events are not doing golf in China much good.
"The China Tour is really, really so important for the Chinese golfers," Liang said. "This is our own tour, where we can stand on our own feet and develop ourselves."
Four tournaments in 2005 became six this year and organisers plan to add another two legs each year. With a top international sponsor in watchmaker Omega already on board, the atmosphere at the Beijing course at the weekend was distinctly professional.
"It has already got a good start," said Liang. "But I do hope this tour will grow rapidly to more than 20 legs. "Chinese golfers will not improve if they only play two or three tournaments a year. I hope we can narrow the gap between the China Tour and international tours."

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