Zhou Xunshu: A pro golfer on the China Tour Rotating Header Image

Zhou still in running for weekend in Shanghai1 event

zhouxunshu032008.jpgZhou Xunshu overcame some early frustrations Thursday at Shanghai Silport Golf Club to finish with a 2-over 74 in the opening round of the KEB Invitational, which features the top domestic tour players from China and South Korea. Play has not yet finished for the day, but Zhou currently is tied for 51st place in the field of 135, which means he’ll have to turn in a solid performance on Friday if he wants to make the weekend cut (usually the top 65 players) in the US$400,000 event. Golfers who make the cut are guaranteed a payday of at least US$1,400 (RMB 9,877), which is financially equivalent to a top-25 finish in a China Tour event.

On Thursday, after parring the fourth hole, Zhou was distracted during his tee shot on No. 5 — the marshal on four started shouting scores into her walkie talkie during Zhou’s back swing. Zhou’s shot went in the water, leading to a double-bogey that put Zhou at 3-over early. Two holes later, Zhou, still frustrated, again found water on his tee shot on No. 7. He managed a bogey and fell to 4-over.

Then Zhou settled down. He posted birdies on Nos. 8 and 13, bogeyed the par-3 17 and finished his round with another birdie.

1 The tournament is technically in Kunshan, in Jiangsu Province, just across the border from Shanghai’s Qingpu District.

周四上海旭宝高尔夫球场,周训书在克服了开始阶段的一些不顺之后,在KEB中韩男子职业高尔夫球巡回赛首轮中以74杆高于标准杆两杆的成绩完赛,这次比赛聚集了中韩两国国内巡回赛的顶尖选手。今天的比赛目前还没有结束,周训书现在在135名选手中并列第51位,这意味着为了在这场总奖金40万美金的比赛中晋级(一般都是前65名),周训书要在周五有个很稳定的发挥。晋级的选手将至少获得1400 美金(人民币9877) 的奖金,相当于中巡赛中至少进入前25名。

星期四的比赛中,在第四洞打出了标准杆之后,周训书在第五洞开球的时候被打扰了——在周挥杆的时候,第四洞的巡场开始大声地对着她的对讲机报分数。周的球下水了,这洞也打了个双柏忌,也让周当时的成绩降到高于标准杆三杆。两洞之后,第七洞周再次开球下水,这洞他打了柏忌,成绩落到高于标准杆四杆。

稳定下来之后,周训书在第八和第十三洞分别打出小鸟球,周打出了柏忌在标准杆为三杆的17洞,周以一个小鸟球结束了今天的比赛。

Zhou Xunshu enjoys best-ever finish in Guangzhou

zhouxunshuguangzhou031608.jpg
Zhou closed with a 2-over 74 on Sunday to finish nine strokes off the lead in a tie for 6th place in the China Tour’s 2008 season opener in Guangzhou — his previous best finish on the tour was an 8th in 2007, also on the Dragon Lakes Golf Club course in Guangzhou. If not for a bogey on 18, Zhou would have earned the first top-5 finish of his career. Perhaps more importantly, that bogey may have kept Zhou from earning his elusive China Golf Association pro card.Zhou is currently a “pro coach,” one notch below “pro player.” In previous years, before foreign players were allowed to enter China Tour events, a top-three finish on any Tour event meant an automatic pro player card. Having that card could help players like Zhou get higher-paying teaching jobs and sponsorships. Had Zhou finished one stroke better in Guangzhou, he would have finished 5th overall, but third among Mainland Chinese entrants (two Taiwanese players finished tied for second, behind repeat champion Zhang Lianwei).

Zhou earned RMB 14,750 (US$2,082), before tax, for his sixth place finish.

Zhou arrives in Shanghai today for a non-China Tour event featuring the top domestic tour golfers from China and Korea at Shanghai Silport Golf Club. More information on that tournament (in Chinese) here.

Photo by 王述.

周训书在广州以个人中巡赛最好成绩完赛

周训书周日打出了74杆,高于标准杆两杆的成绩,总成绩落后冠军九杆,在2008赛季中巡赛的首站广州站中并列第六名——之前他在中巡赛中的最好成绩是2007年的第八名,也是在广州的九龙湖球场。如果不是在第18洞的柏忌,周就将取得自己职业生涯中的首个前五名的成绩。可能更重要的是,这个柏忌可能让周丧失了他梦寐以求的转职业的机会。

目前周训书是个职业教练,比职业球员差一等。以前,在中巡赛允许外国选手参赛之前,任何一站的前三名都可以自动转为职业球员。职业球员的身份可以帮助周训书找到工资更高的教球工作以及赞助。如果在广州周的成绩可以提高一杆,他就将以第五名完赛,但是在所有大陆所有中排名第三(两位台湾选手在成功卫冕的冠军张连伟之后并列第二名)。

第六名的成绩让周得到了人民币14750(美金2082)的税前奖金。

今天周训书会到上海,参加在上海旭宝高尔夫俱乐部举办的由顶尖的中国和韩国球员参加的比赛,这不是中巡赛的比赛,更多关于这个比赛的内容请点击这里。

照片由 王述.