At the Chongqing Championship ended last week, Sato Taehei defeated Chinese player Liu Yanwei through a hole match to win the championship, becoming the first Japanese champion in Chinese history. Now, it’s time for Sato Taehei to look forward to a “second” – becoming the second player in history to win the first two championships of the season.
In the first four seasons, only one player won the championship back to back in the first two stops of the season. Mainland Chinese player Dou Zecheng won the championship in the first stop of the St. Andrews Henan Open in 2016, and then won the second stop of the United Investment Real Estate Wuhan Open.
Sato Taihei won the Chongqing Championship last week and is expected to win the second consecutive victory this week. The Sanya Championship will kick off at the Yalong Bay Golf Club from April 4 to 7, and Sato Taehei and 143 other players will launch an attack for the final championship.
Previously, the PGA Tour series - China had held two competitions in Sanya. Li Haotong won the Hainan Open at Sanya Luhuitou Golf Club in 2014. In 2015, Zhang Huilin won the championship at the Hainan Open held by the Sanya Longquan Valley Golf Club. Now, the PGA Tour series - China's third visit to Sanya is different from the previous two starts in November, this time in early April.
in the PGA Tour Series - the first year of China - In 2014, South Korean player Wang Jeunghun won the first stop of the year with a 10-shot advantage. In the second stop, American player Sam Chien won the Buick Open in Guangzhou.
In 2015, Josh Geary from New Zealand became the player to win the first victory of the season. Taiwanese player Zhan Shichang became the champion of the second eternal courtyard open.
A year ago, Korean-American player Jeffrey Kang won the first Chengdu Championship in 2018, but he failed to win two consecutive games. At the next Chongqing Championship, Chinese mainland player Cao Yi defeated England player William Harold through a extra hole match and won the championship trophy.
Only Dou Zecheng won back-to-back victory two games before the start of the season, and in the 2016 season he won the Player of the Year honor. In addition to these two games, he also won the fifth game of the season, Suning Real Estate Nanjing Zhongshan Open and the seventh game of the Yulong Bay Yunnan Open.
Sato Taehei is very much looking forward to doing this like Dou Zecheng.
"I hope to win the championship again this week. I am in very good shape now. Since last week, I have built up strong confidence and I feel good." Sato Taehei said, "Compared with the Chongqing Poly Golf Course last week, the Yalong Bay Golf Course this week is very different. If the wind continues to blow, it will be difficult. This is a new challenge for me, and I am looking forward to it."
Liu Yanwei, a Chinese player who competed with Sato Tae last week, did not come to participate in this week's Sanya Championship, while David Kocher, Max McGreevy, and Charlie, who are ranked first in the Chongqing Championship, were the best in the Chongqing Championship. Dann) and others participated in the competition, with Kscher ranked third, and McGreev and Dann tied for seventh.
Former PGA Tour series-Chinese champions Kevin Techakanokboon, Eugene Wong, Sam Chien, Bryden Macpherson, Gunn Charoenkul, Kim Taewoo, Ho Zewoo, Chao Haemon, Alexander Kang, Justin Shin, Kim Cheng and other players will all participate in the Sanya Championships.
At the beginning of the season, Taehei Sato has set his ultimate goal, "My goal is to compete in the PGA Tour. Last week's championship helped me take another step away from my goal. I hope to win the championship again this week so that I can qualify for the Weber Network Tour next season."
