Live TV at Luxehills, first for Omega China Tour

BEIJING, June 5 (Xinhua) -- The Omega China Tour golf tournament will feature live television coverage for the first time.

The national CCTV (China Central Television) network broadcasts the weekend action from next week's RMB1 million Luxehills Golf Championship in Chengdu.

The CCTV Golf and Tennis Channel, Shanghai Sports Channel and Shenzhen Sports Channel will all air two hours of live coverage on both Saturday and Sunday, focusing on the leading players in the third and fourth rounds at the Luxehills International Country Club.

Zhang Lianwei, a six-time Omega China Tour champion and winner of the 2006 Omega Order of Merit, said the advent of live television was a massive boost for the Tour in its fifth season.

"It's a groundbreaking event for the Omega China Tour to have live television at Luxehills. The Tour needs these type of developments to keep moving forward," said Zhang, who became the first Chinese to play in a Major at the 2004 Masters.

"It shows that the Tour is improving its promotion, reaching a wider audience and catching up with bigger circuits. It's also a great chance for golf fans to see more of our younger Chinese stars, which will be great for the players as they develop their careers."

Live television marks a significant step for the Omega China Tour, which this year has already ushered in record purses and invited pros from the PGA Tour of Australasia and the Mercedes-Benz Tour of Sou the ast Asia.

"Luxehills' great support has enabled the Omega China Tour to have live television coverage for the first time," said Zhang Xiaoning, Executive Vice-President and Secretary-General of the China Golf Association.

"We hope all the players will perform well in front of the TV cameras and that more people in China will see and appreciate golf through Omega China Tour's live television."

Chinese Taipei's Tsai Chi-huang will be among the favorites after winning last year's inaugural event with a Tour-record 18-under total of 270.

The field will feature 10 pros from the PGA Tour of Australasia, 10 foreigners from Qualifying School and up to two invites from each of Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Macao.