HALL OF FAME_UNIVERSIADE 2011 SHENZHEN-Shenzhen Embraces the World

    Zhang Lianwei (born 2 May 1965; Zhang is his family name) is a Chinese golfer. He was born in Zhuhai in Guangdong Province. He was the first golfer from the People’s Republic of China to achieve substantial success on the international professional circuit.    The first golf course in the People’s Republic of China opened in 1984 and Zhang took up the game soon afterwards. He worked as a caddie and won the China Amateur Open Championship three times before turning professional in 1994. He has won a number of events in China and on the Asian Tour and one event in Canada. At the 2003 Caltex Singapore Masters Zhang beat Ernie Els at the 72nd hole to become the first Chinese golfer to win on the more prestigious European Tour. With this victory he also became the first Chinese golfer to make the top 100 in the Official World Golf Rankings. In 2004 he received a special invitation to play in The Masters Tournament, becoming the first player from mainland China to do so. He missed the cut at The Masters, but made it at his second event on the PGA Tour, the 2004 FedEx St. Jude Classic. He has also played extensively on the Japan Golf Tour. In 2006 he topped the order of merit on the Omega China Tour.

Professional wins:

1995 Volvo Open Shenzhen (Volvo China Tour), Volvo Masters of Malaysia, Volvo Masters of Thailand

1996 Volvo Masters of Malaysia, Volvo Masters of Thailand

1997 Hugo Boss Open (Volvo China Tour)

2000 Ontario Open Heritage Classic (Canada)

2001 Macau Open

2002 Macau Open

2003 Volvo China Open (not a European Tour event until the following year), Caltex Singapore Masters

Team appearances: Royal Trophy (representing Asia): 2006

Source: 深圳新闻网  Editor: 邓越萌