Yuan Hao of China hits out from a bunker (AFP)
Big-hitting Yuan Hao, 18-year-old amateur Hu Mu and the legendary Zhang Lianwei will represent three generations of Chinese golf when they play together in Sunday's final flight of the 100,000-dollar Xiamen Championship, the second tournament on the 10-event China Tour.
The 28-year-old Yuan, part of China's 'second generation', shot a one-under-par 69 to go four-under at the Orient (Xiamen) Golf and Country Club. Florida-based Hu was one behind after a 72, which included an early triple-bogey.
Most eyes will be on the 42-year-old Zhang Lianwei, who soared up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 65 to join defending champion Li Chao and local hero Wu Weihuang on two-under.
Yuan, who represented China in the 2002 Asian Games, is one of the China Tour's most consistent performers, however he's still looking for his first Tour title.
"I'm driving well, so I'll focus on my short game and especially my putting, as the greens are slow," said Yuan.
Hu, who had led by two strokes after a second-round 65, was four clear of Yuan after he birdied the first, which his playing partner bogeyed. However, a pushed tee-shot into an unplayable lie on the next hole led to a triple-bogey.
Impressively, the teenager quickly recovered his composure to shoot two more birdies on the front nine and make the turn in even-par.
A student at the David Leadbetter Golf Academy, Hu instead paid tribute to another famous tutor, Dr Jim Loehr, a renowned performance psychologist.
"I was really happy with the way I recovered after the triple, as I remembered what Jim Loehr said about being positive after mistakes," said Hu, currently ranked 11th in the American Junior Golf Association rankings.
"In fact, my friend once made a 10 on a par-five and then went on to win the tournament, so I have hope."
Zhang, part of China's 'first generation' of golfers when he turned pro in 1994, admitted he was looking forward to playing with representatives of the younger generations on what promises to be a gripping final round in Xiamen.
© 2008 AFP/sid
