Course record set by ... whom?
HAVEN, Wis. - An official competitive course record was set in the third round of the PGA Championship at Whistling Straits on Saturday.
Unofficially, another competitive record was set in the media room shortly thereafter for the most reporters scrambling through their Players' Guides at the same time trying to figure out who the heck this guy was who just shot a course-record 64.
The answer was on page 101: Wen-Chong Liang, 32, from Zhongshan, China.
The second generation golfer (the first course in China opened in 1984), who started golfing when he was 15 by using a baseball-type swing, showed how far he has come with an amazing third round that featured a 31 on the back nine (5 birdies) to catapult from a tie for 37th after two rounds to a tie for fourth place heading into today's finale.
"I really want to take this opportunity to thank my coach (Kel Llewllyn), who has been working with me the past three years to change my swing," Liang said through interpreter David Lee. "It was basically a total rebuild from stance to grip to takeaway to downswing ... everything. I wish he was here to explain it."
He didn't have to be - Liang's game did most of the talking Saturday.
"After I made the cut I felt so much more relaxed," said Liang, who needed only 23 putts Saturday. "The driving and the putting went very well so it made the whole round very good."
Though not a household name in these parts, to assume that Liang came from out of nowhere would be incorrect.
This is his fifth appearance in a major. He owns 16 career professional wins, including the 2007 Singapore Masters. He was Asia's top golfer in that year, becoming the first Chinese player to win the Order of Merit.
And doing well for his country is what means the world to Liang. He was asked if his 64 on Saturday or a 60 he shot in 2008 would qualify as his best round.
He only had to pause for a second.
"Both are very, very special, but this is special because this is a major," he said. "And also it makes people realize there are actually professional golfers in China."
Are there ever.