DEATH OF GORDON KINNOCH, LONG-TIME BLAIRGOWRIE PROFESSIONAL

FROM THE PGA WEBSITE
A cultured, classy gentleman - and a gentle man as well. That summed up Gordon Kinnoch, who has died at the age of 85 after a battle with cancer.
And the PGA pros making these heartfelt observations were Gordon's successor inn 1997 at Blairgowrie, Charles Dernie, together with one of the multitude of assistants who picked up so many worthwhile attributes from their boss, Colin Sinclair at Carnoustie Golf Links.
Originally a BBC engineer in Aberdeen, Gordon was persuaded by Gordon Durward, the Deeside pro at that time, to take up the game professionally, and he began his career with the legendary John Panton at Glenbervie. 
And after a couple of years at Haggs Castle in Glasgow, Kinnoch began his 36-year association with the famed Blairgowrie club where he became an honorary member on his retirement in 1997.
"He was a fine teacher, a keen artist (a student of the renowned Angus painter, McIntosh Patrick)", said Dernie, "And what can you add to the quote from Peter Alliss? 'He was one of the finest gentlemen in professional golf.' "
Sinclair added " I can't talk more highly about the man. He never swore. Away from work, he was into painting and classical music.
"I was speaking to him just a week ago, and he was making sure I'd done a deal properly at Carnoustie. He was as sharp as a tack, so ahead of his time in a business sense. Things that're being taught today he was doing 20 years ago... a man ahead of his time, the consummate golf pro."
PGA chief executive Sandy Jones commented: "Gordon was a true gentlemen and a wonderful PGA member. He was a role model to all young professionals who had the privilege of working under his guidance. His influence on all who met him will never be forgotten."
Mr Kinnoch is survived by his wife, Maureen, and daughters Victoria, Sarah and Alix.

ROOKIE MADSEN AND CLARK SHARE LEAD ON SHORTENED DURBAN COURSE

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Morten Orum Madsen made a dream start to his first event as a fully-fledged European Tour Member as a five under par 60 gave him a share of the lead after the first round of The Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa.
As play finally got underway at Royal Durban - with the course shortened to a par 65 in order to avoid the most saturated areas - the 24 year old Danish rookie started well with an eight iron approach to six feet at the tenth – his first – before the first of two chip-ins at the 13th.
A seven iron to five feet at the 16th and an eight foot putt on the 18th saw the Challenge Tour graduate turn in 27, although his round threatened to unravel when he missed a two footer for par at the first and pulled his approach against an advertising board at the fourth before duffing his first chip.
However, he holed from off the green again at the next, hit a wedge to ten feet at the eighth and finished by driving the green at the 305 yard last and two-putting to lead alongside South African Tim Clark.
“It was fun,” said Madsen. “We’ve had a long wait to get started, but it was nice to finally get out there and hit some shots again.
“I chipped in twice, and that’s sometimes what you’ve got to do to have the good rounds, you have to be a little fortunate.”
The tournament has been reduced to 36 holes after the unseasonably heavy rain and on the frustration of having the season’s start delayed by two days, Madsen added: “There is a group of Danish players sticking together, and I think we’ve done a pretty good job of entertaining ourselves. We went to the movies a couple of times and just hung out to pass the time.
“The other Danish guys are Andreas (Harto) and JB Hansen. They just got their cards from the Challenge Tour as well, so we’ve been hanging out quite a bit. It’s nice to have a group of guys like that. We all got top-20 on the Challenge Tour last year and we’ve been having this whole experience together, which is nice.
“I was really excited to get going. This is the dream, and I couldn’t wait to get started.
“It’s a strange situation. We knew we’d only be playing two rounds, so it felt like you had to get out there and get after it. If you’re too far back after today, it’s going to be tough to jump a lot of people tomorrow.
“It’s changed a bit to a sprint, and it was really nice to get some birdies on the board early, so I felt like I could attack it and play more freely, Instead of trying to force it.
“I like my chances. It’s a good position I’m in right now; I probably have to go out tomorrow and focus on my own game, play it shot-by-shot. I know it’s kind-of cliché, but that’s what I have to do, and see where it puts me after 18 holes.”
The altered course saw Clark card an unusual hat-trick of birdie twos from the 13th in his six-birdie round; the only blemish coming when he missed a 20 foot par putt at the sixth.
“It wasn’t that easy out there, but I was amazed at how good the greens were with all the rain they had,” said Clark. “The greens were pretty firm and obviously great to putt.
“If it is going to be a two round tournament, you’ve got to go low.
“Normally you can sort of pace yourself, get to the weekend, play in the weekend and sneak home; but right now you’ve got to go as low as you can and be aggressive.”
Clark’s compatriot Lindani Ndwandwe, who had an eagle two at the second as well as six birdies – one of them a chip-in at the seventh - two bogeys and a double bogey during an eventful morning, shares third with England’s Chris Lloyd.
Reggae fan Ndwandwe, who has won twice on the co-sanctioning Sunshine Tour, added: “In every tournament if you give yourself a good start you always have a chance. Getting a good start out there is always a boost to your confidence.”

Tournament Leaderboard

	Pos		Player name		Nat		Hole		Par
	T1		CLARK, Tim		RSA		18		-5
	T1		MADSEN, Morten Orum		DEN		18		-5
	T3		NDWANDWE, Lindani		RSA		18		-4
	T3		LLOYD, Chris		ENG		18		-4
	T5		NEL, Colin		RSA		18		-3
	T5		SOUTHGATE, Matthew		ENG		18		-3

Full Leaderboard

TIM CLARK LEADS NELSON MANDELA CHAMPIONSHIP

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR 
South African Tim Clark shot a five under par 60 to hold the clubhouse lead midway through the delayed opening round of The Nelson Mandela Championship presented by ISPS Handa finally began.
After unseasonably heavy rainfall had flooded the course and delayed the tournament start by two days, Norway’s Espen Kofstad was able to hit the first shot of The 2013 Race to Dubai at 06.30am.
The 36 year old Clark had a hat-trick of birdies from the 13th in an outward 28 – all on par threes as the course par at Royal Durban was down to 65 as holes were shortened to take out some of the wettest areas.
The former Players Champion then birdied the 304 yard par four second before his only bogey of the day at the sixth, only to recoup his advantage with a pair of closing birdies.
That put the three-time European Tour winner one ahead of compatriot Lindani Ndwandwe, who had an eagle two at the second as well as six birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey during an eventful morning.
“It wasn’t that easy out there, but I was amazed at how good the greens were with all the rain they had,” said Clark. “The greens were pretty firm and obviously great to putt.
“I made some good putts and that’s really what gives me this score. Obviously I gave myself a lot of chances, I made some good twos on some of those par threes.”
With the tournament reduced to 36 holes, Clark knows he cannot afford to take his foot off the gas in the second round.
“It’s just the same really, just come out and try to make birdies,” he added. “If it is going to be a two round tournament, you’ve got to go low.
“Normally you can sort of pace yourself, get to the weekend, play in the weekend and sneak home; but right now you’ve got to go as low as you can and be aggressive.”Reggae fan Ndwandwe, who has won twice on the co-sanctioning Sunshine Tour, added: “In every tournament if you give yourself a good start you always have a chance. Getting a good start out there is always a boost to your confidence.”
As the afternoon session progressed England’s David Horsey and France’s Julien Quesne emerged as the main challengers to Clark’s position atop the leaderboard.
Two-time winner Horsey showed signs of a return to form with an outward 31 to be three under, while Quesne – who achieved a breakthrough victory in Spain last season – birdied four and bogeyed one of his first five holes.
THE TOURNAMENT HAS BEEN REDUCED TO 36 HOLES.

TO VIEW THE FULL SCOREBOARD ON THE 
EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE

CLICK HERE  

DAVID FROST GOES FOUR CLEAR IN MAURITIUS SENIORS

FROM EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

David Frost birdied two of the last three holes to take a four-shot lead into the final round of the MCB Tour Seniors' Championship in Mauritius after a five under par 67 at Constance Belle Mare Plage.

The South African, who was runner up to Tom Lehman last year, is looking for his second win over the Legend Course after capturing the MCB Open in December 2010, defeating Roger Chapman in a play-off.

On that occasion he took a two-stroke lead into the final round, but had to eagle the final hole to take the tournament to a play-off before clinching the title on the second extra hole.

He will be hoping it proves to be more comfortable this time round after carding six birdies to move to 13 under par 131 for the tournament, with gained shot on the 16^th and 18^th holes pulling him away from the chasing pack. 
But the 53 year old is wary of the dual threat posed by American Tim Thelen, who matched his 67 to lie four shots back in second position on nine under par 135, and Englishman Barry Lane, who posted a 66 and is a shot further back on eight under par 136.

“I played steady golf today and hit a lot of good shots out there today,” said Frost. “I really played well. I missed a couple of short putts but made some long ones, so it all evens itself out.

“I’m in a good position going into tomorrow and I just need to hit keeping those good shots and hold the nerve together.

“My swing feels comfortable though. You have to just stay in the moment.

“Every tournament you win has a special time and place for you and obviously I’ve won here before. If it gets to that and I win again it would be great. Barry and Tim are both great players. It is easy for me to think about them, or them think about me, but we all just have to focus on our own games.”

Thelen and Lane will also be battling to finish second on the European Senior Tour Order of Merit, with Lane currently €8,517 ahead of his rival, and €12,563 the difference between second and third place in the season-ending tournament.

After three birdies on the front nine, Thelen eagled the par five 13^th hole courtesy of a superb three iron approach from 221yards which rolled back to two-and-a-half feet from the pin.

“I had a much better ball striking round today,” said Thelen, who is chasing his fourth title of 2012. “David played unbelievable today though. Having a four shot lead, I’m not sure I can catch him. He’s playing that well and putting even better. He is a fantastic player.

“It’s a course where there can be a swing in scoring, but I’ve not seen him hit a bad shot yet.

“I’m not thinking too much about catching Barry in the Order of Merit either. For me it’s just been a great season and if it comes down to the back nine then maybe I will think about it. For me, to finish in the top five on the Senior Tour Order of Merit is a fantastic achievement. I could never have expected that at the start of the year.

“It will be a fun day whatever happens. Playing golf with David and Barry will be great – they are both great guys and great players.”

Former Ryder Cup player Lane dropped a shot on the fourth hole and struggled with his putter initially, but hit back strongly with seven birdies in his final 13 holes.

“I played really well yesterday and didn’t hole anything but today I didn’t play that well to be honest,” he said. “I started off pretty poorly and made six on the par five from the fairway, missing from four foot, and five foot on the next hole.

“I have a cross on my putter which I put on a couple of weeks ago to help get the face level, but I abandoned that on the sixth hole and sank a 20ft putt and did the same on the next. I think I was so conscious of the cross and trying to be so precise that I forgot about my stroke.

“From the eighth hole I played some pretty good stuff. I’ve got something to fight for this week. I’ve got to tie or beat Tim because if he finishes second and I finish third then he would beat me by a few thousands Euros. So it should be a good battle tomorrow. I was hoping to birdie the last so I can get into that last group and play alongside him, which will be fun.

“You also have the battle for fourth between Peter Fowler and Paul Wesselingh, so it should be a good day tomorrow. Of course you also have the tournament being contested as well and I feel like I’ve still got a chance in that.

“It’s very easy to shoot level par around here but if you get it going you can also shoot 64 or 65. I’m happy to be up there and I have given myself a chance.”

Fowler and Wesselingh, who are separated by €13,249 in fourth and fifth place respectively in the Order of Merit, are tied for fifth position in the MCB Tour Championship on six under par 138.
Australian Fowler eagled the fourth hole but double bogeyed the sixth en route to a three under par 69, while Wesselingh had the round of the day, a seven under par 65 which included an eagle on the sixth.

Double Senior Major champion Roger Chapman, who will collect the John Jacobs Trophy on Sunday for winning the Senior Tour Order of Merit, is a shot further back in tied seventh after a round of 69.

Second round scores from the MCB Tour Championship at Constance Belle Mare Plage (par 72)

131 D Frost (RSA) 64 67

135 T Thelen (USA) 68 67

136 B Lane (Eng) 70 66

137 J Bruner (USA) 69 68

138 P Fowler (Aus) 69 69, P Wesselingh (Eng) 73 65

139 C Williams (RSA) 71 68, R Chapman (Eng) 70 69

140 T Lehman (USA) 71 69, A Franco (Par) 70 70, K Spurgeon (Eng) 71 69, J Gould (Eng) 69 71, B Cameron (Eng) 72 68, S Van Vuuren (RSA) 67 73

141 D Smyth (Irl) 71 70, G Ryall (Eng) 69 72, M Farry (Fra) 71 70, A Murray (Eng) 71 70

142 J Quiros (Esp) 71 71

143 T Price (Aus) 73 70

144 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 73 71, S Tinning (Den) 72 72, M Mouland (Wal) 71 73, A Fernandez (Chi) 74 70

145 S Cipa (Eng) 76 69, N Job (Eng) 75 70, M Martin (Esp) 73 72, R Drummond (Sco) 70 75, A Sherborne (Eng) 73 72

147 G Banister (Aus) 74 73, B Longmuir (Sco) 73 74

148 G Manson (Aut) 75 73, G Brand jun(Sco) 75 73, P Golding (Eng) 71 77

150 A Forsbrand (Swe) 80 70, D Cambridge (Jam) 77 73, D Russell (Eng) 75 75, M Harwood (Aus) 78 72, P Smith (Sco) 75 75

152 J Hall (Eng) 76 76, G Norquist (USA) 75 77, J Harrison (Eng) 75 77, G Ralph (Eng) 75 77

153 S McAllister (Sco) 78 75, M Cunning (USA) 84 69

154 D Mast (USA) 77 77

155 M Belsham (Eng) 79 76

156 J Sallat (Fra) 79 77

 ** I Espitalier Noel (am) (Mus) 88 WD

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Web: www.europeantour.com

CHARL SCHWARTZEL FIVE AHEAD WITH A ROUND TO GO IN THAILAND

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE ASIAN TOUR

Chonburi, Thailand: An irrepressible Charl Schwartzel of South Africa pulled five shots clear of the pack after a master class four-under-par 68 in the third round of the US$1 million Thailand Golf Championship today.

Schwartzel, searching for his first title in 20 months after winning the 2011 Masters Tournament, dropped his first bogey of the week at Amata Spring Country Club but a fantastic eagle and three other birdies saw him increase his overnight four-shot advantage.

Sweden’s Daniel Chopra overcame a double bogey as he battled to a 69 to trail a distant second in the Asian Tour’s showpiece while local hope Thitiphun Chuayprakong scrambled to a 71 for third place, six back.

Two closing birdies in front of large galleries pushed Ryder Cup star Sergio Garcia into fourth position following a 68 but he faces an uphill task being eight shots back of the runaway leader.

The 28-year-old Schwartzel, who opened his campaign with successive 65s and leads on 18-under-par 198, is poised to improve on last year’s runner-up finish to Lee Westwood but he is not prepared to pop the champagne yet.

“It’s a game of patience and I just have to go out there to play. If it’s my time, it’s my time,” said Schwartzel, who is seeking his ninth professional victory and his first on the Asian Tour.

“Today felt good. The majority of it was solid. I hit a few bad ones but it was because I was sweating so much. I gave myself a lot of chances especially coming in. 15, 16, 17, 18 … I gave myself chances, could have easily been four birdies. Hit good shots, good putts but it wasn’t meant to be.”

Schwartzel, who is hoping to emulate Westwood’s wire-to-wire victory last year, dropped his first bogey in three rounds after finding the fairway trap on the demanding ninth hole but he quickly reasserted his dominance with a terrific eagle, firing a five iron into the 12^th hole and sinking the 12-foot putt. He then rolled in a 10-foot curler on 14

“It’s unpredictable. I’ve shot two 65s and there is a low score out there. I prefer not to think about it (a winning score). I’m just going to keep playing and see if I can keep shooting a few under par tomorrow,” he said.

“I’m playing well. It’s been a good few weeks as I’m pretty much in control of my golf swing. I can’t ask for more than that,” added the South African, who has finished fifth, third and second in his last three tournaments.

Chopra stayed close to the leader with birdies on one and six but dropped a costly double bogey on the par five seventh hole. He finished strongly with three birdies in his remaining 10 holes.

“I hit a good shot but it clipped the edge of the lip and I made double there (seven). After that I played quite steadily and hung in there nicely. Obviously my goal is to go out and try to make it uncomfortable for Charl. Nobody wants to see him run away with it. I want to do my absolute best to make it close down the stretch,” said the Swede, who is a two-time winner on the PGA Tour.

Thitiphun, an emerging name in Thai golf, was disappointed he could not finish closer to Schwartzel after a roller-coaster round that included five birdies and four bogeys. “I made mistakes but these are all part of the game. I’ve been working with my psychologist and I now know there are days when you don’t perform at the level whichu want too. I’ve learned to accept that,” said the 20-year-old.

“I played perfect golf in the last two days but I’m still happy with the position I’m in. I think a top five finish will be great. Charl played very good but there are so many good players behind him who can shoot a low number. I think the champion will only be decided in the last three holes.”

Garcia reckons Schwartzel will be a hard man to beat.

“He played great last year and doing great again. He obviously likes the course. I like the course too but there are a couple of holes which I feel a little bit uncomfortable,” said the Spaniard.

After arriving in Bangkok early Thursday morning for the first round. having just completed the Japan Tour Qualifying School, big-hitting Hend, a two-time Asian Tour winner, has moved up the leaderboard nicely with a 69.

“I’m just getting myself into it. Just doing what I can,” he said. “Charl is playing so well but if you throw something at him and he makes a mistake, there is a possibility. That’s all you can do. It’s hard to put pressure on the guy who is eight or nine in front of you. Any pressure that we can put on is the pressure that he puts on himself.”

Defending champion Westwood and reigning Masters champion shot Bubba Watson 70 and 71 respectively for tied seventh place on 209 while current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Thaworn Wiratchant also carded a 70 for tied seventh position.

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS

 Par 216 (3x72). Yardage 7,453

198 Charl SCHWARTZEL (RSA) 65-65-68.

203 Daniel CHOPRA (SWE) 67-67-69.

204 Thitiphun CHUAYPRAKONG (THA) 66-67-71.

206 Sergio GARCIA (ESP) 69-69-68.

207 Scott HEND (AUS) 70-68-69.

208 Masanori KOBAYASHI (JPN) 68-67-73.

209 PARK Hyun-bin (KOR) 68-74-67, Nicolas COLSAERTS (BEL) 72-67-70, Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 69-70-70, Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 70-69-70, Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 69-70-70, Lee WESTWOOD (ENG) 70-69-70, Bubba WATSON (USA) 68-70-71, Ryo ISHIKAWA (JPN) 70-66-73.

210 Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 70-73-67, Simon DYSON (ENG) 72-71-67, Hunter MAHAN (USA) 71-69-70.

 

 

JOHN SENDEN BACK IN LEAD AFTER THREE ROUNDS OF AUSSIE OPEN

Justin Rose will head into the final round of the Emirates Australian Open two strokes off the lead after a late stumble at The Lakes in Sydney.
Rose had held a two-shot advantage in the afternoon but spoiled his round with consecutive bogeys on the final two holes to finish the day on five under overall.
Despite that the World Number Four remains firmly in contention to end 2012 on a high with his third round two under par 70 leaving him in second place behind local hopeful John Senden.
It is the second consecutive year Senden has held the 54-hole lead at the tournament and Rose is expecting a tough battle when they are paired tomorrow with high winds expected.
"I hear the wind's going to switch and blow just as hard," Rose said.
"Whoever literally stands up could win the golf tournament, it could be last man standing.
"I think it's going to be a battle - but I'm excited, as long as it doesn't get out of control and blow too hard, it's going to be a fun day to try and hit some shots.
"It's going to be my last round of the year and I'd like to go out on a high note."
Senden, who had led after the opening round, had to withstand a shaky start today as he bogeyed his opening two holes to fall behind a cluster of seven players who briefly held the lead.
But the 2006 Stonehaven Cup winner made his charge on the back nine, producing an eagle on the par five 11th and adding consecutive birdies from the 13th to card a two under 70 and sit at seven under overall.
"It was a day of just trying to do my best to stay up there and it's nice to be leading the golf tournament," Senden said.
"I thought the last two holes were pretty much close to the edge - it was so windy out there it was hard to hit the ball straight."
Matt Jones (69), Peter Senior (69) and Kieran Pratt (70) are level in third place a shot behind Rose.
Pratt stole the outright lead with spectacular eagle at the 11th but his stint at the top of the leaderboard ended on the very next hole with a bogey.

TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES IN THE AUSTRALIAN OPEN

CLICK HERE

CHINESE 14-year-olds MISS CUT BUT IMPRESS AT AUSSIE OPEN

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE ONEASIA TOUR

SYDNEY - China's teenage golf record-breakers Guo Tianlang and Andy Zhang may have missed the cut at  OneAsia's Emirates Australian Open, but they go home with their heads held high and the world at their feet after impressing seasoned professionals and fans alike.

The pair of 14-year-old amateurs has caught the attention of the golfing world in the past year, prompting pundits to wonder if China was becoming the sport's next nursery -- much as South Korea has done for the women's game in the past decade.

"It is very impressive and I wish them well," eight-time Major winner Tom Watson said of the inclusion of the Chinese pair at The Lakes Golf Club in Sydney. 

"I remember dreaming of playing in professional tournaments was I was their age, so to actually fulfil that dream must be fantastic for them."

Guan burst onto the scene in April when at just 13 he became the youngest player ever to take part in a men's professional tournament at OneAsia's Volvo China Open, which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour. 

He missed the cut after rounds of 77 and 79 left him 12 over par, but put down a marker than many thought would be hard to beat.

Just two months later, however, 14-year-old Andy Zhang (pictured left) gave notice of his arrival on the world stage by becoming the youngest person to take part in a U.S. Open, competing in the 112th edition of the championship at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Zhang had become an alternate after just missing regional qualifying, but as injuries mounted in the days leading to the tournament, his chance of taking part grew. Three days before the start, England's Paul Casey pulled out and Zhang was in. 

Under the sort of media scrutiny usually reserved for golf's most famous child prodigy -- a certain Tiger Woods -- Zhang shot rounds of 79 and 77 to miss the cut.

"It's not too young if you can do it," Woods said of Zhang at the time.

Guan wasn't finished yet, however. The now 14-year-old beat a field including players twice his age and size to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships in Thailand last month, securing an invitation to play at the U.S. Masters next year when he will become the youngest player ever to compete in golf's most prestigious Major.While Guan and Zhang do have some similarities to their backgrounds, they are also very different.

Beijing-born Zhang was spotted at the age of six by a South Korean teaching professional who took him under his wing after spotting him smacking balls with his businessman father.

By 10 he was already showing so much talent that his mother took him to the U.S. to try his hand at some age group tournaments. He did so well, they decided to stay and enrol at David Leadbetter's Academy.

Tall and well built by any standards, Zhang is outgoing and chatty in fluent America-accented English.  

"He really is a fantastic talent," said coach Andrew Park, a South African former touring pro who now has his own academy in Florida and a stable of successful students.

"You have to bear his age in mind when dealing with someone who is so good so young. Sometimes he is too hard on himself, when all you want is for him to go out there and have fun."

Guanzhou-born Guan was taught to play by his doctor father Fuan Han Wen at the age of four and beat him for the first time when he was nine. 

Also tall for his age, Guan is more more reserved in nature but nevertheless unfailingly polite in English or Chinese.

Guan's parents travel with him everywhere he goes. His mother Jenny Liu Hong Yu is a familiar sight outside the ropes and his father is always at hand to chat to followers. 

Zhang, now based in Florida with his mother Li Hui, is given a longer leash, although always accompanied by the cheery Christopher Gold, 24, who operates as a coach and caddy -- and friend and mentor. 

Guan looked slightly out of his depth -- or rather length -- in the first round on Thursday when he shot a 10-over 82, but all his talent was on display in the second round when he went two under.

 

"I really enjoyed this week," Guan (left) said of his second experience in a professional strokeplay tournament -- he was also part of Team China in the Ryder Cup-style Dongfeng Nissan Cup last week.

"I wasn't nervous, but it's my first time playing in front of so many spectators. It will be helpful for me to prepare for the U.S. Masters next year when there will be tens of thousands of people every round.

 

"No matter the result, this week was very helpful, and great for me to get more experience."

Zhang -- who played in OneAsia's Kolon Korea Open last month as well as the European Masters in Switzerland in September -- could also see only positives from the experience despite rounds of 76 and 77. 

"I played with a great bunch of guys and it was good to see how they handle themselves under pressure," Zhang said.

"I think I sometimes let things get to me when a shot goes wrong or a hole goes wrong, so it is definitely something I can learn from them."