Liang hopes to rebound after Augusta woes

BEIJING, April 17 -- Chinese No. 1 Liang Wenchong hopes to bounce back from his disappointing debut at the U.S. Masters with a win on more familiar turf at the China Open in Beijing starting today.

Liang, who last year became the first Chinese player to win Asia's Order of Merit, said he had learnt a few lessons about pressure after missing the cut by seven strokes at Augusta National last week.

"Of course, it was a good learning experience and I'm sure I'll be able to put those experiences to good use this week," Liang told reporters yesterday.

"I really want to win this week's competition as it's our National Open and I've this burning desire to do well," he added of the Asian and European Tours' co-sanctioned event.

Liang is bidding to become the third Chinese to raise the trophy in the tournament's 14-year history, after Cheng Jun's victory in 1997, and Zhang Lianwei's 2003 triumph.

The 29-year-old, however, must conquer a challenging course at Beijing's CBD International Golf Club and a field including champion Markus Brier of Austria, and 2007 joint runner-up Graeme McDowell.

Brier's comfortable five-stroke victory at Shanghai's Silport Golf Course last year made him the first Austrian to win a European Tour event away from home.

"It was the first time golf got into the (Austrian) media big-time...it would have been like an African skier winning something," Brier quipped.

Brier said he was better placed to become the tournament's first repeat winner after ending a string of missed cuts with a top-10 finish at last month's Andalucia Open in Marbella.

"That was really important for my confidence, and I can rely on my technique now - I'm happy with it," Brier said.

Northern Ireland's McDowell, who shared second with South African Andrew McLardy and Australia's Scott Hend last year, said he looked forward to "shaking off a little rust" from a three-week break.

"I like the look of this week, like the way the course is set up. It is difficult and think it will separate the men from the boys," said McDowell, who is fifth in the European order of merit after winning the Ballantines Championship in Jeju, South Korea, last month.

Other contenders include Britain's former Ryder Cup player David Howell, and in-form New Zealander Mark Brown, whose breakthrough victory at the Johnnie Walker Classic in Gurgaon, India, shot him to the top of the Asian Order of Merit.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)