Wu Weihuang

　　新浪体育讯　June 9, 2009: Former martial arts champion Wu Weihuang will be at the forefront of the mainland challenge at this week’s Luxehills Golf Championship in Chengdu following the withdrawal of Alex Wu Ashun from the Omega China Tour event。

　　Wu Ashun, the 23-year-old Asian Tour star, pulled out on Tuesday with a lower-back problem, a similar injury to the one that had earlier forced Zhang Lianwei out of the Luxehills event, which will feature live television coverage on Saturday and Sunday。

　　Wu Weihuang, who held off Wu Ashun to win his first career title at the season-opening Dell Championship in Xiamen, believes the local players will rise to the occasion at the Luxehills International Country Club despite the withdrawal of arguably the two leading mainland pros in the field。

　　“We have a good number of Chinese players who can win, not just Zhang Lianwei and Wu Ashun, and I would count myself among those players. It really just depends who has a good week,” said Wu, who finished joint-seventh at Luxehills last September and eighth in last year’s Omega Order of Merit。

　　Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Chi-huang is among the pre-tournament favourites after winning last year’s event with an 18-under total of 270, an Omega China Tour record. Many eyes will also be on the PGA Tour of Australasia contingent headed by Kurt Barnes, who won April’s Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open in Nanjing。

　　Wu sized up another couple of pre-tournament favourites on Monday when he played a practice round with Chinese Taipei’s Lu Wen-teh, the five-time Asian Tour winner, and American C.J. Gatto, 24, winner of this year’s Qualifying School and joint-fourth in Xiamen。

　　“I have a lot more belief in my game since winning in Xiamen. It has opened the door for me for more success,” Wu said. “I waited a long time for that first win, but having done it once, I think it will be easier to win a second time。”

　　Wu is a former Fujian champion in the martial art of Nanquan, a contemporary form of Wushu. Now 41, he only took up golf in his late 20s after being introduced to the sport by a business colleague, but his athletic background has propelled him to become one of China’s top players。

　　“I’ve become a lot physically stronger after working out in the gym more regularly since the winter and this has helped me stay strong on the course,” Wu said. “I’m hitting my driver between 20-30 yards longer than before, which is giving me more chances to attack pins。”

　　Liao Guiming and Yuan Hao, second and third at Luxehills last year, Li Chao, the eight-time Omega China Tour winner, Zhou Jun and Wu Kangchun are also among the leading mainland pros competing at Luxehills。

　　The CCTV Golf and Tennis Channel, Shanghai Sports Channel and Shenzhen Sports Channel will air live coverage of the Luxehills Golf Championship on Saturday and Sunday from 1.00-3.00pm。

　　Live television marks a significant step for the Omega China Tour, which this year has featured record purses and invited pros from the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Mercedes-Benz Tour of Southeast Asia。