November 16, 2006 – Liang Wenchong showcased Chinese golf to the world on Thursday with an impressive opening round at the US$2 million UBS Hong Kong Open.

China’s No.1 player fired a five-under-par 65 to stand just one shot off the pace being set by India’s Jyoti Randhawa and Spain’s Jose Manuel Lara.

“I’m very excited to be among the leaders,” said Liang, who is seeking the first international victory of his promising career.

The Zhongshan-raised player got off to a blistering start at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling, reaching four-under after just four holes thanks in part to a stunning eagle at the 551-yard par-five third.

“After my drive, I had 230 yards to the pin. I used a five wood and it landed on the green a foot away from the flag for a simple tap-in,” he explained.

But Liang insisted the pressure of flying the flag for a nation of 1.2 billion people would not get to him. “I’ll try not to think about it because it will bother my game and performance.”