Edoardo Molinari had to wait seven years for his last European Tour victory but will be looking to make it two trophies in seven days at the Shenzhen International when he tees off alongside Denmark’s Thorbjørn Olesen and England’s Jordan Smith.
The Italian beat Paul Dunne in a play-off at last week’s Trophée Hassan II in Morocco to claim his first win since 2010 and comes to Shenzhen excited by the prospect of enjoying his golf and playing freely with the added knowledge of a secure card.
Fabrizio Zanotti is another player who arrives in Shenzhen full of confidence after his recent win at the Maybank Championship in February. He followed that with a tie for 12th at the WGC-Mexico Championship and after securing a top-20 finish here last year in a tough, weather-delayed week, he is ready to get back into action.
Alex Levy knows what it takes to win on the A Course at Genzon Golf Club, the Frenchman claimed his maiden win at the Volvo China Open in 2014 and signed for a course record 62 in the process. The 26 year old has only played five tournaments in 2017, yet has an incredible record in China, finishing inside the top 30 in all five of his European Tour appearances.
China’s Li Haotong will look to the local crowds for support as he tees off alongside World Number 22 Bubba Watson and Abu Dhabi HSBC Champion Tommy Fleetwood.
Player Quotes:
Edoardo Molinari
“It feels fantastic – it was a long time coming. I was playing quite good in the beginning of the year but I never thought the win would come so soon, so I’m obviously very happy.”
“It gets me into all of the Rolex Series events, which is massive, and hopefully I can play well in one of those and finish the Race to Dubai in a strong position come the end of the year, but the safety to be able to pick and choose your schedule for a couple of years is fantastic.”
“It is a great golf course. There is a lot of water on the back nine, all of the par fives are quite challenging but fun because you can get but there are dangers. It is a golf course I quite like and I have played good in the past so I am looking forward to this week.”
Fabrizio Zanotti
“I’m feeling great, a little tired with the jetlag, but feeling great with my game and hopefully I have another good week.”
“I had a few weeks off but I was doing a lot of training at home and making some good sessions with some confidence to have two good weeks here in China.”
“Last year was a tough year and hopefully this year is better with the weather. It is a nice golf course, you have to hit really straight and I think the important thing here is you have to hole putts because everybody is going to be around the greens.”
Li Haotong
“It is fantastic to be back in China, I always love to play at home. I am looking forward to the crowds and home support.”
“I think I learned from the play-off loss to stay patient and to try not feeling the pressure.”
“I’ve been working a lot on my game, it is great and getting better. It is a good course, the condition is fantastic, I think it’s probably the best I have seen it this year.”
Alexander Levy
“It’s a lovely place, the course is in great condition this year. I have some great memories here and I am very happy to be here. It is really warm, the ball is going to fly a lot and the greens are a little bit firmer, so it’s in perfect condition.”
“I have only played five tournaments, that’s not a lot, but I feel like my game has come a long way and I just want to have fun on the golf course. The game is in great shape, I have changed coach and changed a few things, and now I just want to play golf, enjoy it and have fun.”
