The last leg of China’s only national golf tour kicked off yesterday, with Xu Qin and Zhou Jun both shooting three-under-par 69s to lead the pack. The Omega Championship, being played at the Beijing Longxi Hotspring Golf Club, has a purse of 1 million RMB and will determine the final rank of golfers in the Omega Order of Merit.
Wu Ligui, Andy Zhou Xunshu and Hong Kong-based Nick Redfern are all tied for third with 70.
Xu played a bogey-free, three-birdie round to take the opening day lead. The 24-year-old from Tianjin believes in dressing well to play well, and says he models his look after British player Ian Poulter, who has his own clothing line.
“If I dress well, I feel good,” Xu said after Thursday’s round. “Recently I’ve been paying even more attention to Ian Poulter. I always check what he’s wearing, from his trousers to his shirts. My hair is also high like his.” Xu might be paying a little too much attention to his look, though; he was disqualified from the season-opener in Guangzhou because he missed his tee-time.
The two players contending for first place in the Order of Merit, a ranking of players by total prize money won, are current overall leader Liao Guiming and third-place player Li Chao (second-ranked Zhang Lianwei is not playing at Longxi). Both Liao and Li shot 72 on Thursday.
Xu Qin image: Omega China Tour
Tags: Li Chao, Liao Giuming, Wu Ligui, Xu Qin, Zhou Jun