Chinese star Liang Wen-chong will be counting on golf tips from three-time Masters champion Gary Player to spur him to a memorable debut at Augusta National this week.
The Asian Tour number one was thrilled to play a practice round with the South African legend and said the experience was priceless as he attempts to become the first player from China to play in all four rounds at the Masters Tournament.
“I played with Mr Gary Player, who is playing his 51st Masters and he was so relaxed and humorous. We saw each other last week and he invited me to play a practice round here,” said Liang.
“He taught me a lot through his experiences of playing here. I’m very thankful that Mr Player took the time to play with me and teach me a few things.”
Player, who will set a new Masters milestone with his 51st appearance this week, was complimentary of the Chinese stalwart, saying his potential was immense. “I enjoyed that round,” said the 72-year-old Player, winner of over 162 tournaments worldwide.
“I’ve always been very global in my thinking and my business and to see a young man from India and China out here, that’s what we have to do. Golf brings people together and it’s magnificent. Liang was so well mannered, so humble and I was able to give him a couple of little tips about the golf course.
“I saw him in Atlanta last week and I knew he was playing in the Masters. So I said, come on, let’s play together. I took his telephone number and phoned him to come. He’s got potential ... he has a lot of room for improvement, the mind, the body, the swing and in golf, it takes a long.”
Liang, who won the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit last season with one victory and eight top-10s, will have the company of two-time Masters winner Jose Maria Olazabal of Spain and South African Rory Sabbatini in the opening two rounds and he’s looking forward to the challenge.
He hopes that a successful Masters run will help grow the game quicker in China. Three years ago, Zhang Lian-wei played in the Masters but failed to make the weekend cut which Liang hopes to improve.
“The Masters is the largest Major in the world and the invitation to me is like an approval for Asian golf and China golf.
“Golf is developing so fast. When I started playing golf, first place prize money (in China) was US$5,000. Now, we have the HSBC Champions offering total prize money of US$5 million. When I started playing golf, there were courses numbering in the 10s but now there are over 400 courses. I hope more international resources come to support Chinese golf.
Liang’s confidence was also boosted significantly when he tied for 12th place at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans two weeks ago. “That was a good week for me. I was tentative in the first two days but became a lot more relaxed after I made the cut and managed to have a good week.”
