After becoming the first Chinese player to finish in the top-10 in a major last weekend, Liang Wenchong wasn't able to linger in the moment. Immediately after securing equal eighth at the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits, Liang walked straight to the parking lot and jumped into his rental car.
'I spent most of Sunday evening on the I-94 expressway from Milwaukee to Chicago and then the night in a hotel beside O'Hare airport,' Liang said. 'But I can't complain about a late tee-time on the Sunday of a major.'
After taking a red-eye flight home on Monday, Liang had a brief reunion with his young family in Zhongshan, Guangdong province, before a series of trips to the Swiss consulate in Guangzhou last week to sort out his Schengen visa for upcoming European Tour events, starting with next month's Omega European Masters at Crans-Montana in Switzerland.
His performance at the PGA Championship has seen him jump from 78th to 60th in the world rankings and opened up a new range of possibilities.
'There are many little things that I've needed to work out this week so I can continue to move up the world rankings and the European Tour money list and try to return to the Dubai World Championship in November,' Liang said. 'I also have tournaments in Thailand and China to look forward to, so the season is only really starting for me with many consecutive events.'
One year after Yang Yong-eun triumphantly raised his golf bag above his head after slaying Tiger Woods at Hazeltine to become the region's first major winner, Asian players again chose the PGA Championship to make significant strides, as Liang led the way with a Whistling Straits' course-record eight-under-par 64 in the third round. Noh Seung-yul was tied for second after the opening day before matching the performance of the world number one to finish equal 28th while another Korean, Kim Kyung-tae (tied 48th), made the cut as former champions, including Padraig Harrington and John Daly, did not.
As the only player from China, Liang's appearance in Wisconsin created the inevitable novelty stories about him driving 80 miles in between rounds to find a good Chinese restaurant. But, in the end, the 32-year-old was remembered more for his consummate skill over four difficult rounds, thanks to a much-improved swing.
