GOLF | Champions to battle in Venetian Macau Open

Several former champions will gather at the Macau Golf and Country Club to compete for the 16th Venetian Macau Open trophy, which will take place between October 23 and 26. A number of world-renowned players, including last year’s Venetian Macau Open victor Scott Hend, who just won the Hong Kong Open last week, will seek to claim the title in the golf tournament that is regarded as one of the highlights on the Asian Tour.
In a press conference yesterday, Scott Hend said that last week was exciting with the Hong Kong Open  and he expected the excitement to continue in Macau so that he can “deliver a decent level of golf”.
Another skilled golfer joining Scott Hend in the game is Ernie Els, who had his first appearance in the Venetian Macau Open last year, finishing in an impressive tied-third place.
He said that although he suffered from a back problem last week and found it difficult to play, he is “getting better and feeling very good for this year”. “Last year I only got in Wednesday afternoon. This year, I’ve got a lot more time. So, I’m really enjoying my time here this year”, he said.
Miguel Ángel Jiménez, the Spanish player currently ranked 38 in the world, said that he has enjoyed playing in Asia. It is the first time he has traveled to Macau to participate in the tournament. Mr Jiménez said that he suffered minor food poisoning last week. However, he said that he was ready to fight for the title of the Venetian Macau Open, having now recovered from this small upset.
As part of this year’s tournament, spectators will again see some top Asian players competing for the title. They include the Thai player Thongchai Jaidee, who just won the Nordea Masters in June this year and has been propelled to the world ranking of 42. He believes that his consistent performance has allowed him to have a successful year  in 2014. He is looking forward to the starting of the Macau Open and hopes that his competitors will enjoy the game too.
After the press conference, the players participated in a skill challenge in which six of them were divided into two teams. Eventually, the Asian team, comprising of Thongchai Jaidee, Zhang Lianwei and Liang Wen-Chong, beat their opponents.
Mr Zhang said that he sees considerable changes to Macau every time he comes to the city for the tournament. He is also satisfied with his practice and is confident about his performance in the game.
The experienced Chinese player also believes that the future of Chinese golf rests on the young players who will join the Venetian Macau Open this year, including Hu Mu and Li Haotong. “I am 50 years old now. They are in their teens and are playing so well. (…) In fact, there are many young players in China. I hope that there can be more young golf players from Macau. (…) I hope that resources can be allocated to provide [golf] training to children,” he expressed.
He also suggested that it is very rare for younger players to compete with higher-ranking professionals outside of tournaments like the Venetian Macau Open. “Usually young players can only see [the top players] on the television. I hope that they can learn something when competing [with the top players]. After all, they are performing really well. It is without doubt that [top players] have their own ways. (…) You can see how they handle the tough balls. There is so much that can be learnt,” he said.
Other Chinese player, Liang Wen-Chong, said that he is now in good condition and believes that the tournament will be more challenging, given that top players from all over the world will be participating in the event this year. He also commented on the young players and suggested that Li Hao Tong, who just won the Chinese Master on October 12, is a promising member of China’s next generation players.
Macau Daily Times is the media partner of the Venetian Macau Open.