MACAO, 11 Oct 2016, (HK Golfer News Wire) - The Venetian Macao Open plays host this week to some of the world’s best known golfers, bidding for championship glory and challenging for serious ranking points as the Asian Tour season heads into the home straight.
Defending champion Scott Hend who also won in 2013, and 2014 winner Anirban Lahiri have been the form players over the last three editions of the tournament, which will once again take place at the Macau Golf & Country Club. However, with one of the strongest line-up ever assembled at the US$1.1 million event, the two stars might not have it all their own way as action gets underway this Thursday.
With two tournament wins and six other top ten finishes this year, world number 14 Branden Grace is hoping to put the breaks on, at least temporarily, the Hend-Lahiri dominance at the Venetian Macao Open. A fan favourite, the South African will no doubt delight with his breath-taking skill as he looks to end his 2016 season on a high.
The Australian Hend, said:
“It will be a really fun week and an extremely competitive Venetian Macao Open with the players we have here. I have always said that, with each year that I come to play, the quality of the field here in Macao just keeps on getting stronger and stronger. Looking at the champions around me today, it could be anybody’s trophy on Sunday. If nothing else, I know the course, I have done well on it, and I hope that gives me a bit of an advantage.”
Lahiri, one of the finest players to hail from India, has almost as impressive a record as Hend at The Venetian Macao Open, having been runner-up in 2013 and 2015, in addition to his first victory in Macao in 2014. The 18-time tour winner will look to even the scores with the defending champion later this week.
2016 Ryder Cup Team Europe captain Darren Clarke will be retruning to the Macau Golf & Country Club for the first time since 1999. The 2011 Open Championship winner has invested much of his efforts this year on leading Team Europe to bid for glory at the prestigious team tournament and will make his return as a player right here in Macao. The 48-year-old Ulsterman is extremely popular with fans and will no doubt bring an additional flavor to the tournament as he bids for his first title of the year.
The Chinese challenge will once again be spearheaded by the great Zhang Lian-wei. A two-time winner of the Venetian Macao Open (2001 & 2002) alongside Hend, his record at the 18-year-old tournament speaks for itself with 17 appearances and 16 cuts made. Now a regular on the seniors tour, he is continuing to trailblaze and create history for China as he did as a professional on the Asian and European Tours, in a career that spans over two decades.