Zhang Lianwei

Zhang Lianwei (Chinese: 张连伟; born 2 May 1965) is a Chinese professional golfer.

Zhang Lianwei
张连伟
Personal information
Born (1965-05-02) 2 May 1965
Zhuhai, Guangdong, China
Height1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Weight73 kg (161 lb; 11.5 st)
Nationality China
ResidenceShenzhen, Guangdong, China
Career
Turned professional1994
Current tour(s)European Senior Tour
Former tour(s)European Tour
Japan Golf Tour
Asian Tour
Professional wins20
Highest ranking93 (11 May 2003)[1]
Number of wins by tour
European Tour1
Asian Tour5
European Senior Tour1
Other14
Best results in major championships
Masters TournamentCUT: 2004
PGA ChampionshipDNP
U.S. OpenDNP
The Open ChampionshipDNP
Achievements and awards
Omega China Tour
Order of Merit winner		2006
In this Chinese name, the family name is Zhang.

Zhang was the first golfer from the People's Republic of China to achieve substantial success on the international professional circuit. In January 2003 he became the first Chinese golfer to win on the European Tour,[2] and the following year was the first to compete in the Masters Tournament, one of the four major championships.[3]

Career

Zhang was born in Zhuhai in Guangdong Province. The People's Republic of China's first golf course opened in 1984, and Zhang took up the game soon afterwards. He worked as a caddie and won the China Amateur Open Championship three times before turning professional in 1994.

Early in his career, Zhang won a number of smaller tournaments around Asia, in China, Malaysia and Thailand. He has competed predominantly on the Asian Tour since 1997, but has also played extensively on the Japan Golf Tour. He has also played outside Asia with limited success. However he did win a tournament in Canada in 2000.

Zhang came to global attention at the 2003 Caltex Singapore Masters, where he edged out Ernie Els with a birdie on the final hole to become the first Chinese golfer to win on the European Tour.[2] With this victory he also became the first Chinese golfer to make the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings. As a result, in 2004 he received a special invitation to play in the Masters Tournament, becoming the first player from mainland China to compete in the tournament. His invite drew significant criticism, with many players believing that there were other Asian golfers more deserving of a place in the Augusta field.[3]

Zhang has won a total of five tournaments on the Asian Tour, and has a best end of season ranking of 2nd on the Order of Merit, achieved in 2003. He has also won six times on the China Tour, where he topped the Order of Merit in 2006.

In 2009, while being invited to compete in the Omega European Masters in Crans-sur-Sierre Switzerland, Zhang met Stéphane Barras the local club pro, who later became his coach.[4] In February 2010 Zhang and Stéphane opened a golf training center in Haigeng, Kunming in the province of Yunnan, (the Olympic training ground of China). In April 2010, Zhang regained his title at the PGA of China and in 2011 he finishing -13 and best Chinese at the China Open co-sanctioned with European Tour, OneAsia tour and Asian Tour.

In 2014, Zhang hit the very first tee shot in the history of the newly established PGA Tour China. In 2015 he was a rookie on the European Senior Tour. In 2016, he won his first senior title, the SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open.

Amateur wins
  • 1989 China Amateur Open Championship
  • 1991 China Amateur Open Championship
  • 1994 China Amateur Open Championship

Professional wins (20)

European Tour wins (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 26 Jan 2003 Caltex Masters1 −10 (68-71-69-70=278) 1 stroke Ernie Els

1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour

Asian Tour wins (5)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 22 Dec 1996 Volvo Asian Matchplay 1 up Kang Wook-soon
2 6 May 2001 Macau Open −11 (70-64-71-68=273) 1 stroke Simon Yates
3 20 Oct 2002 Macau Open (2) −7 (71-69-67-70=277) Playoff Nick Price
4 26 Jan 2003 Caltex Masters1 −10 (68-71-69-70=278) 1 stroke Ernie Els
5 16 Nov 2003 Volvo China Open −11 (67-69-69-72=277) 2 strokes Thaworn Wiratchant

1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour

Asian Tour playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2002 Macau Open Nick Price Won with par on fifth extra hole

Canadian Tour wins (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runners-up
1 Jul 9, 2000 Ontario Open Heritage Classic −9 (69-68-67=204) 2 stroke Jason Schultz, Todd Setsma,
Ken Staton

China Tour wins (8)
  • 1995 (1) Volvo Open
  • 1996 (1) Blue Ribbon Open
  • 1997 (1) Hugo Boss Open
  • 2006 (2) Omega China Tour – Zhuhai, Omega China Tour – Shanghai
  • 2007 (2) Omega China Tour – Qingdao, Omega China Tour – Guangzhou
  • 2010 (1) China Tour – PGA Championship

Other wins (5)

European Senior Tour wins (1)
No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory		 Runner-up
1 5 Jun 2016 SSE Enterprise Wales Senior Open −12 (67-69-62=198) 3 strokes Paul Broadhurst

Results in major championships
Tournament 2004
Masters Tournament CUT

CUT = missed the halfway cut
Note: Zhang only played in the Masters Tournament.

Results in World Golf Championships
Tournament20042005200620072008200920102011201220132014
Match Play
Championship 68
Invitational
Champions T66 T64
  Did not play

"T" = Tied
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

Team appearances

References
  1. "Week 19 2003 Ending 11 May 2003" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  2. Casey, Phil (27 January 2003). "Zhang makes history as Els' quest wilts in heat". The Independent. London. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  3. "Zhang invite causes upset". BBC Sport. 23 March 2004. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
  4. Stéphane Barras in China, Olympic Quest full story
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