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Zhou becomes youngest champion

Zhou Jun became the China Tour’s youngest-ever champion yesterday, easily winning the season-ending Omega Championship by seven strokes.

The 24-year-old Zhou finished with a six-under total of 282, well ahead of Wu Kangchun, his former national teammate and playing partner for the fourth successive day at the Beijing Longxi Hotspring Golf Club.

Both Zhou and the 27-year-old Wu carded a one-under 71 in the final round. Taiwan’s Chan Yih-shin, 31, finished third, one stroke behind Wu, after a 77 in the final round.

Liao Guiming, who finished 17th in Beijing, nevertheless celebrated his first Omega Order of Merit title, succeeding Li Chao, who finished fourth at three-over for the tournament.

Chan was unable to continue the recent run of success by Taiwanese players, who had won four of the previous five events on the Omega China Tour.

Liao was crowned as the Omega Order of Merit champion at the tour’s gala dinner following the event.

■ HERO HONDA INDIAN OPEN

AP, NEW DELHI

Liang Wenchong of China overcame his nerves to shoot birdies on the last two holes yesterday to finish one stroke ahead of Australia’s Darren Beck and clinch the Asian Tour’s US$1 million Hero Honda Indian Open.

Liang, 30, who shot a course record 12-under 60 in the first round, scored a two-under 70 in yesterday’s final round to finish 16-under 272 for the four rounds, one stroke ahead of Beck.

South Africa-born Beck also sank a birdie on the 18th hole to finish 15-under after a fine final round in which he shot a seven-under 65.

Liang appeared nervous when he dropped three strokes on the back nine, following up his bogey on the 14th with a double-bogey on the 15th, but steadied himself to shoot birdies on the final two holes.

Having finished his bogey-free round, Beck watched from the 18th green as Liang reclaimed the lead that he had enjoyed throughout the tournament.



■ LONGS DRUGS CHALLENGE

AFP, DANVILLE, CALIFORNIA

South Korea’s Kim In-kyung held on to her lead in the LPGA Longs Drugs Challenge on Saturday with a three-under 69 that left her one shot in front of Angela Stanford of the US.

Kim, who took a one stroke lead into the third round, finished another windy day on 11-under 205, while Stanford fired a 67 for 206.

Taiwan’s Yani Tseng (70) and American Mollie Fankhauser (73) were tied for third place on six-under 210.

Mexico’s world No. 1 Lorena Ochoa, who started the day two adrift, settled for a 74 to fall seven adrift on four-under 212. She was tied for sixth with Australian Sarah Kemp (71) — behind Kristy McPherson who shot a 71 for 211.



■ VALERO TEXAS OPEN

AFP, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS

South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini fired a seven-under 63 on Saturday to capture the third-round lead at the US$4.5 million Valero Texas Open.

Sabbatini’s 14-under total of 196 put him one stroke in front of former Masters champion Zach Johnson, who posted a sizzling 62 for 197.

Tim Herron (67), Chris Stroud (69) and New Zealand’s Tim Wilkinson (63) shared third on 199.

Sabbatini’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the 11th, where he chipped in from about 10 yards in front of the green with a pitching wedge.



■ MADRID MASTERS

AFP, MADRID

South Africa’s Charl Schwartzel shrugged off a nagging shoulder injury to birdie the final hole for a one shot lead after the third round of the Madrid Masters on Saturday.

Schwartzel, who led with Australia’s Marcus Fraser overnight on nine-under, hit a four-under 67 to go 14-under for the tournament on 199.

Argentina’s Ricardo Gonzalez carded a nine-under 62 to sit a shot behind in second on 13-under.

Schwartzel gained shots at the fourth and fifth, before an eagle at the 540 yard par-five seventh. He then birdied the eighth, but dropped a shot at the par-three ninth to reach the turn in 32.

He dropped another shot at the 12th, but birdies at the par-five 14th and the 18th ensured his place at the top of the leaderboard.
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