SHANGHAI, March 19 (Xinhua) -- Yang Yinong and Chen Guxin booked their tickets to next month's Volvo China Open on Wednesday as the two finished tied atop the leaderboard at the 36-hole qualifying tournament, the only players to break par at Enhance Anting Golf Club.

With conditions sunny, calmer and warmer than Tuesday's blustery opening round, Yang closed with a five-under 66 for the low round in qualifying, as Chen was one-under 70. Both players finished on one-under 141. Chai Bowen (67) was third at two shots back.

Other Chinese mainland players to directly qualify for the 30th national championship, a 2.5-million-US-dollar tournament on the DP World Tour, April 17-20 also at Enhance Anting, were Bo Peng (68), Pang Ming (69) and Zhang Jin (73).

Four players on 146 took part in a playoff for three spots. Zhang Zihong (71) hit into the water on his third shot. When Wu Di (71) made a bogey putt, Zhang admitted defeat. Amateur Li Zhengqian (72) and first-round leader Fang Yu (76) also got in. Li joins his younger brother, Li Zhengda, the Volvo China Junior Match Play Championship winner, in the field for the Volvo China Open.

Yang, who is coming off two surgeries, one of which was for appendicitis, said he hadn't planned on playing in the qualifier but had to after he was injured last year, He called the Volvo China Open the biggest tournament a Chinese could participate in on home soil.

"Earning this qualification feels truly honorable," said the 27-year-old. "I adopted a steady strategy and tried to lay up on all the par-five holes. My short game was really on point today, saving me in many crucial moments. The highlights of my round today weren't the birdies but rather a couple of par saves, including the one on the second hole." Enditem

Related

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)