Kurt Barnes_creditworldsportgroup

Tristan Lambert and Brad Andrews, both yoga enthusiasts, and Michael Moore, also a professional tennis coach, are also playing their second successive Omega China Tour event after competing in Nanjing.

The big-hitting Barnes, who turned 28 on May 25, will be the star attraction at the Luxehills International Country Club after his impressive Sofitel victory, which followed an 11th-place finish at the Volvo China Open and marked his first victory since the 2005 Victorian Open.

“Winning my first overseas title in China was a huge achievement for me, so it would be great to win another trophy at Luxehills,” said Barnes, who won RMB225,000 in Nanjing.

“The quality of the Australian players going to Chengdu is as good, if not stronger, than those in Nanjing, so it will be interesting to see how we do at Luxehills.”

Barnes, who regularly drives between 330-340 yards, is rediscovering the form that made him one of his country’s most promising players in his early 20s, when he won the 2002 Australian Amateur Championship.

After turning pro in October 2003, he won the Queensland PGA Championship in November 2004 and the Victorian Open two months later, but had to wait over four years for his next trophy.

“Everybody was really happy for me when I got back to Australia,” said Barnes, who played with Zhang Lianwei in the final two rounds in Nanjing. “Becoming the first Australian to win on the Omega China Tour is a massive thing to have on my resume, so it will be great to play again in China.”

Lambert, runner-up in the 2006 Queensland Open and 2007 Victorian PGA Championship, was also keen to return to the Omega China Tour after finishing tied for 21st at the Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open.

“The cooperation between the two Tours is a great initiative. It’s great for us personally and I think the Australian players will do well,” said the 26-year-old. “From what I’ve seen so far, the Omega China Tour is really well run and the signage, marquee and spectator stands give it a very professional atmosphere.”

Anthony Brown, Matthew Griffin, Tom Prowse, Josh Lane, Rowan Beste and Lucas Bates make up the10 PGA Tour of Australasia entries for Luxehills.

Zhang, a six-time Omega China Tour champion, and eight-time winner Li Chao will be among theleading Chinese pros at Luxehills along with Dell Championship winner Wu Weihuang, Omega Championship winner Zhou Jun, big-hitting Yuan Hao and Chengdustar Huang Mingjie.

Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Chi-huang will also be among thefavourites after winning last year’s event with a Tour-record 18-under total of 270. The field will include up to two invites from each of Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong and Macau, and 10 foreigners from Qualifying School.

ENDS

For high-res photos

Visit the Gallery at www.omegachinatour.com and click on any image to access the high-resolution option. Credit: World Sport Group.

For further information

Please contact John Higginson, Media Manager, World Sport Group (East Asia). Email: j.higginson@worldsportgroup.com.hk. Tel: +852 2891-2000. Mobile: +852 6626-1443.

About theLuxehills International Country Club

Luxehills International Country Club is Chengdu’s most central golf club and part of theLuxehills International Community, the most prominent real estate project in China’s southwest region. The project was developed by Wide Horizon Real Estate Co. Ltd. The golf club is renowned for its beautiful landscape and spectacular scenery and includes a North American-style clubhouse, an 18-hole championship course by JMP Golf Design Group and international-standard facilities. Firmly established in China’s golfing community, Luxehills was voted Favourite Course of the Year by the players on the 2008 Omega China Tour and hosted the 2008 National Golf Clubs General Managers Conference.