Liang leads as major-winner Yang lurks

China’s Liang Wenchong grabbed a one-shot lead at the Nanshan China Masters Friday while Asia’s major-winner Y.E. Yang lurked four off the pace heading into the weekend.

Liang, a former Asian number one now ranked at 353, showed signs of resurgence as he carded four-under-par 67 on the demanding Nanshan International Golf Club course for a two-day total of 135, one better than Australia’s Aaron Townsend.

Yang, the South Korean who made history by winning the 2009 US PGA Championship, was among three players tied for third while South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, was eight off the lead.

Liang has experimented with putters, switched drivers and taken to the gym in a bid to recapture the form which took him to joint eighth at the 2010 US PGA Championship – and he said it was paying off.

“I reached my low point last year, but things are coming back,” he said, in comments released by organisers. “I’m 34 years old already, and I now have a good management team to service my needs.

“Now all I need to do is to try my best to live and practice like a player – that’s all – and wait for the wins to come.”