Chinese golf star Zhang Lianwei said Monday that he wanted to be number one in Asia by the end of this season to qualify for the British Open.

"I would like to finish the year as the Asian number one as it would get me into the British Open," said Zhang, who has plied histrade on the Japan Tour with success over the past two seasons.

The self-taught golfer recently won his first China Open title in Shanghai following his two Macao Open victories. A first triumph at the Hong Kong Open would certainly be the icing on the cake, said Zhang.

"I've had some good finishes in Hong Kong in the past and I like the layout as you need to think your way around the course instead of trying to overpower it. It's my kind of course," said Zhang.

Zhang's best outing in the Hong Kong Open was a tied fourth finish in the 1997 edition while he has consistently produced top-20 performances in recent years.

A victory at the Hong Kong Open, which is jointly sanctioned bythe European and Asian PGA Tours, would earn the Chinese number one 113,000 US dollars and put him top of the Order of Merit on the Asian PGA Tour with the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia inBangkok remaining. Zhang currently trails merit leader Arjun Atwalof India by approximately 36,000 US dollars.

He will be in the company of world-class players this week withthe likes of world number 10 Padraig Harrington of Ireland, Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke, Dane Thomas Bjorn, England's Nick Faldo and former champions Jose Maria Olazabal from Spain andSwede Fredrik Jacobson amongst the top guns in the fray.

South Korea's Choi Kyung-ju, who featured in the Presidents Cupin South Africa last week where he beat Justin Leonard in the singles, will also make a welcome return to Asia.

Zhang's confidence is sky high following his recent breakthrough victory at the China Open where he triumphed by one stroke.

"I have been trying to win this for nine years. I feel a mixture of relief and excitement. I hope this sparks a golf boom in China," he said.

The Hong Kong Open, slated for Thursday to Sunday, is the penultimate leg on this year's Asian PGA Tour and it is the opening tournament on the European Tour's 2003/2004 season.

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