Sun leads the way for men
Boy power ruled in the second event of the Volvo China Open Pre-Qualifying matches in Beijing yesterday when the three female players entered all fell short of the qualification mark, as did Olympic gymnastic gold medallist Li Xiaoshuang.
Zhong Xiaolong, 29, had the honour to play the first tee shot at 8am, and looked to be heading for a trip to Shenzhen when she made the turn in one over-par 37. A hooked drive on the par-four 10th resulted in a double bogey, from which she never really recovered and went on to shoot a six over score of 78 to place fifth overall.
Zhang Na dropped five shots on the front nine to put herself out of contention early in the round while leading amateur Cao Yuhui closed with a pair of sevens to finish in 34th place.
Sun Yiping emerged as the surprise winner of the event after firing four bogeys and a double bogey against four birdies for a two over-par total of 74.
Sun, 25, played late in the round when the conditions were at their trickiest with gusty winds. The Beijing native will now head to Shenzhen Golf Club next month as one of eight qualifiers and hopes the opportunity will prove a lift to his pro career.
'This is a big boost to my career, and hopefully I will take something away from the China Open event apart from prize money,' said Sun. 'I've played at the Shenzhen Golf Club before so I know it's a very challenging course, and to make the cut I'll need to play really well.'
Also on their way to the US$1.3 million event are teaching pro Yuan Zheng and leading amateur player Yang Yang, both of whom shot four over-par 76.
Olympian Li dropped eight shots on the front nine and eventually recorded an 18-hole score of 88. Midway through the round the 32-year-old complained of a bad back and asked if he could use a golf cart. This being against the rules he continued on foot.
