Liang Wenchong has become the first Chinese player to join the Asian Tour's million-dollar club, enjoying a rare occasion of beating mentor and idol Zhang Lianwei to the accolade.

For years, Liang has always followed closely in the large footsteps of Zhang but his runner-up finish at the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in South Korea at the weekend ensured he surpassed the $1 million mark in career earnings ahead of Zhang.

Liang became the 12th player to achieve the feat in Asia, with Thai star Thongchai Jaidee topping the career money list with $2.4 million.

After earning $80,645 on Sunday, Liang raised his career tally to $1.02 million in a professional career, which started in 2000. Zhang, long regarded as China's trailblazer and a five-time winner in Asia, is $672 short of joining the million-dollar club which he can achieve by making the cut at next week's Macao Open, an event he has won twice previously.

Liang, 28, played down his achievements as he is eyeing a greater feat which Zhang has never achieved in his illustrious career - lifting the UBS Order of Merit crown, the ultimate prize on the Asian Tour.

Presently, he is lying in second place and is a mere $4,223 behind leader Anton Haig of South Africa on the UBS Order of Merit after 13 tournaments this season.

"I am hoping to challenge for the UBS Order of Merit title, that was why I played in Korea," said Liang, who had not visited Seoul since 2003. "I would like to win this award."

Liang's season has been impressive. He claimed a maiden title at the Clariden Leu Singapore Masters in March and has now posted five other top-10s to raise his season's winnings to $423,462. Haig, winner of the Johnnie Walker Classic in Phuket, leads with $427,685.

Australian Scott Hend is third on the UBS Order of Merit with $330,062 after finishing tied 51st in Korea while fourth-placed Chapchai Nirat's hopes of edging closer to the top were thwarted when the Thai missed the halfway cut.

Liang also intends to play in Europe and Japan this season but will keep an eye firmly on his ranking on the Asian Tour. Zhang came closest to being Asia's number one in 2003 when he finished second behind India's Arjun Atwal.

"I'm taking this week off and will then play in Europe. However, I will try to play in a few more Asian Tour tournaments to try and win the UBS Order of Merit. It will be especially important to play well in the big events at the end of the season," said Liang.

The Asian Tour also welcomed a new rising star when Korea's 20-year-old Kim Kyung-tae defeated Liang to take the Maekyung title with a breath-taking display, winning with an 18-under-par 270 total.

With a winner's cheque of $129,032, Kim, a double gold medal winner in the Asian Games in Doha last December before turning professional, moved to 12th place on the UBS Order of Merit.

There was only one change in the top-10, with Iain Steel of Malaysia and Gaurav Ghei of India swapping places to seventh and eighth places respectively.

The next event on the Asian Tour is the Macao Open this week. The $300,000 event is celebrating its 10th anniversary at Macao Golf and Country Club, and Europe's Ryder Cup star David Howell will headline the tournament.

The Asian Tour is staging a record 29 events this year offering an unprecedented $28 million in total prize money.

(China Daily May 9, 2007)