Defending champion Lu Wen-teh of Chinese Taipei will lead an array of Asian Tour stars in an international field at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters next week.

Veteran Lu will return to his home course in top form following two top-10 finishes in his last three events and he is expected to take charge in the US$500,000 event which tees off from September 18 to 21.

He will be eyeing the top prize at Taiwan Golf and Country Club's Tamsui course for a record fourth time, but recognizes the challenge presented by in-form Australian Scott Hend, who won the Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational two weeks ago, former Asian Tour number one and former Mercuries champion Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, last year's runner-up Ted Oh of Korea, Malaysia's Ben Leong and Filipino Artemio Murakami.

With three top-10 finishes this season Lu will be eager to return to his winning ways in Tamsui, his home course since his childhood days.

"I like tricky courses like the Taiwan Golf and Country Club. It challenges my game and that makes things exciting. I hope to enjoy myself there again," said Lu, who won twice in the 2007 season.

Oh has been knocking at the door of a maiden Asian Tour triumph recently, and with top-10 finishes in his last two appearances, the US-based Korean will be eager to break through. He is another who appreciates the challenge posed by the fabled Tamsui course. Last year's runner-up also finished second in the event in 2004. He led after the third round last year but was overhauled by the home hero down the stretch.

Oh hopes that he will reap the rewards of the hard work that he put in during the summer break. "A lot of times in the past, I would make a good start (in a tournament) but had a hard time closing it. I don't think I was in the right physical shape then and I tended to tire out over the weekend. That's one thing I've been working on," said the Korean, who qualified for the US Open as a 16-year-old in 1993.

Thailand's Thaworn will also be expected to challenge for honors. The Thai star, who won the Bangkok Airways Open in June for a record 10th Asian Tour title, will be hoping to emulate his performance at the Tamsui Course where he triumphed in the 2004 event.

Other notable players include Australian duo Ashley Hall and Gary Simpson, who finished tied fifth last year. Korean young gun Noh Seung-yul, who has chalked up three runner-up finishes in his maiden season this year, will also be expected to challenge.

American Bryan Saltus, winner of the 2007 Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open, will make a return to Taipei following his last Asian outing at the Pine Valley Beijing Open in May. Bryan's efforts in Cambodia earned him a seat at the top table in the prestigious Johnny Walker Championship at Gleneagles in Scotland a couple of weeks ago, but he was unable to capitalize on his good fortune. The atrocious weather conditions did nothing to assist the laid-back American, who prefers sunny Californian surfing beaches to Scottish storms.

Australia's Gavin Flint will be making his 18th appearance next week having played in every event on the Asian Tour this season. He will be joined by American Anthony Kang who will enter the Mercuries event in top gear after recording third place finishes in the last two tournaments.

(China.org.cn by Asian Tour and David Ferguson, September 12, 2008)