The 91st and final entry for next week's Omega China Tour – Shandong Leg cut it fine, but Zhang Lianwei got his application in right at the last and will take his place in the field for what could be one of the toughest events of the year.

Zhang, who used all his experience to win last month's Zhuhai Leg and record his first win since his miraculous 2003 season, only just managed to rearrange his schedule in time to confirm his place at the Tiger Beach Golf Links.

"Winning in Zhuhai was very important for me; important for me because it was in my hometown and also because as a golfer there is nothing better for your confidence than a victory. However there were several issues to be resolved before I could commit to the Shandong Leg, so I'm very happy that my entry has been accepted," said Zhang, who had to pull out of this week's Bangkok Airways Open on the Asian Tour because of a stomach upset he picked up while doing a photo shoot one of his personal sponsors in Japan.

With Liang Wenchong, the winner of April's opening event in Hainan, in the middle of a run of nine consecutive Japan Golf Tour events, the Shandong Leg entry list doesn't vary greatly from the Zhuhai field, at least not as far as the likely challengers are concerned.

With links golf relatively unknown it could be another tournament for the veterans. Experienced showed in the winds in Zhuhai where the top three (Zhang, Zheng Wengen and Wu Weihuang) were all in the mid-to-late thirties. The Tiger Beach course, which was designed to replicate the famous Carnoustie course that will host Britain's 2007 Open Championship, will mean a steep learning curve for many.

"I believe our players will have a brand new experience to play over here and definitely an exciting week," said the Omega China Tour's tournament director Charles Guo Zongtai.

"Maybe we'll have our own 'British Open' if wind comes," he added.

Zhang Lianwei agreed with that assessment, knowing that many players will not be used to knee-high rough and the pot bunkers typical of a links course.

"This leg is going to be very challenging," he said.

"Links golf requires very different skills and strategies to the golf we usually play, and it takes a lot of experience to learn how to play in the specific conditions of a course like Tiger Beach. It will benefit Chinese golfers, because those skills can be used in difficult conditions on more typical courses too."

(worldsportgroup.com.hk via CRI June 8, 2006)