Chinese star Zhang Lianwei will be hoping for a slice of history when he tees off at the UBS Hong Kong Open today.
Zhang, with six wins on the Asian Tour, will look to emerge as the first player from China to lift Hong Kong's oldest professional sporting event.
But the former China No. 1 is expected to face an uphill battle against defending champion Manuel Angel Jimenez of Spain and a stream of former winners led by Scotsman Colin Montgomerie, Germany's Bernhard Langer alongside Jose Manuel Lara and Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain, Englishman Simon Dyson, David Frost of South Africa and South Korea's Kang Wook-soon.
India's Jeev Milkha Singh, who currently leads the Asian Tour's Order of Merit, is among the top Asian stars present at the Hong Kong Golf Club. He is flanked by compatriots Arjun Atwal and S.S.P. Chowrasia, China's Liang Wenchong, in-form Thai stars Chapchai Nirat, Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant and New Zealand's Mark Brown.
With a proven track record in the region, Zhang will be determined to stay ahead of the field at the US$2.5 million tournament.
"I've been waiting for this tournament for the past one year. I have a lot of friends and supporters here and we have top players from Asia and Europe so it will be an exciting week," said Zhang, who last won on the Asian Tour in 2003.
"There are changes to my physical ability and mental approach as the years go by. Sometimes it's up and sometimes it's down but I keep going for the love of the game so I hope to have another enjoyable outing," he added.
Compatriot Liang, who was the 2007 Asian Tour's Order of Merit winner, is pleased to return to Fanling in hopes of a solid finish to the year.
"It feels nice to be back here. I have been working hard recently to fine-tune my game and hopefully I can produce a strong result here. I feel comfortable with my game and I'm looking forward to a steady finish to the season," said Liang.
Jimenez will seek to become only the third player to win the event at least three times.
The Spaniard, also a winner here in 2004, is aiming to follow four-time winner Hsieh Yung-yo of Chinese Taipei and Australian Peter Thomson, a three-time champion in the 1960s.
Six-time major winner Nick Faldo will also be relishing his outing in one of his favorite Asian destinations this week.
"I haven't played since last year competitively. I think I'm struggling to get ten rounds of golf and probably ten hours of practise. It's good to be back in Hong Kong, and though I never won the Hong Kong Open, I won the Johnnie Walker Classic back in 1990 at Fanling, so got some good memories," said the European Ryder Cup captain.
Scotsman Montgomerie heads into Fanling brimming with confidence, having won the title in 2005.
"It's always nice to come to a tournament that you've won before, and you always feel that coming back to the same course, you always have a defending type of feel to the thing.
"It's funny, the last time I won the Hong Kong Open in 2005, I won the ProAm, and I've just won the ProAm again.You can see the thing written, it's in the stars now," said Montgomerie.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily November 20, 2008)
