Despite finishing 17th at the season-ending Omega Championship in Beijing last week, Liao Guiming (廖贵明) finished first in this year’s Omega Order of Merit, the ranking system for China’s pro golf circuit.
Liao finished the season with 375,125 yuan in prize money, putting him about 45,000 yuan ahead of second place finisher Zhang Lianwei and more than 100,000 yuan ahead of third-place Zhou Jun. The 31-year-old from Guangxi has played in every Omega event since the tour’s inception in 2005. He finished 10th in last year’s rankings.
“I’m really happy. Winning the Omega Order of Merit proves I have the ability. I had a great career as an amateur but it took me five years to finally win as a pro,” Liao said.
Liao’s 17th place finish in the final event opened the door for Li Chao (李超) to overtake him in the Order of Merit, but Li placed fourth in the tournament, leaving him at fourth place overall in the rankings.
Zhou Jun, 24 years old, became the youngest player to win on the tour with his victory at the Omega Championship, which was played at Beijing Longxi Hotspring Golf Club. He shot a six-under total of 282.
Tags: golf, Li Chao, Liao Guiming, Omega China Tour, Zhang Lianwei, Zhou Jun