Zhou Jun, 24, became the Omega China Tour's youngest-ever champion after a closing 1-under-par 71 completed his remarkable wire-to-wire victory in the 1 million yuan ($146,00) Omega Championship, the circuit's season-ending event yesterday.

Zhou Jun, 24, became the Omega China Tour's youngest-ever champion. [www.funfungolf.com]

The Tianjin-based professional finished with a six-under total of 282, seven strokes clear of Wu Kangchun, his former national teammate and playing partner for the fourth successive day at the Beijing Longxi Hotspring Golf Club.

Wu, 27, also shot a closing 71 for his best result on the Tour since winning last year's Sofitel Golf Championship in his first event as a professional. Chinese Taipei's Chan Yih-shin, 31, finished third on two-over, after a final-round 77.

Zhou picked up a check for 187,500 yuan after winning the Tour's richest event, which also helped him leap to third on the 2008 Omega Order Merit with 263,300 yuan.

Liao Guiming was also in celebratory mood after securing his first Omega Order of Merit title, having first led the money list in early September following his third successive top-two finish.

Liao, who finished 17th in Beijing after a closing 73, won a total of 375,125 yuan to finish ahead of Zhang Lianwei (330,000 yuan), the 2006 Omega Order of Merit winner.

Liao succeeds Li Chao, who could have won his third Omega Order of Merit in four seasons if he had won in Beijing, but finished fourth on three-over after a closing 72. The Beijing-born 28-year-old also finished fourth on the money list with 243,000 yuan.

Zhou, however, was the hero of the hour at the Omega Championship, where he was embraced by his friends and former national team coach Song Qingli after his breakthrough victory, which came two weeks after his previous best finish of fourth at the Tianjin Championship.

"I can't believe this. I'm really surprised I played so well again and I've just had an amazing week. I've been playing really well since I spent the summer training with Mr. Song (Qingli). He's helped me so much," said Zhou, who started the week equally wide-eyed after his opening 69, his first-ever bogey-free round.

(China Daily October 13, 2008)