Strange leads Aussie assault on the Volvo China Open

Adam Scott’s heroics at the Masters Tournament have given his fellow Australians fresh inspiration ahead of next week’s Volvo China Open.<br /><br />Scott, a winner of nine European Tour titles, beat Argentinian Angel Cabrera on the second hole of the sudden-death play-off to become the first Australian to don the coveted Green Jacket, and the first player from ‘Down Under’ to win a Major since Geoff Ogilvy triumphed at the 2006 US Open Championship.<br /><br />His compatriots Jason Day and Marc Leishman finished third and tied fourth respectively, capping an excellent week for Australians after something of a lean time on both The European and US PGA Tours.<br /><br />Despite boasting 21 players with US PGA Tour rights – second only to the Americans themselves – Australia had just one winner in 2012, namely Leishman. Matt Zions was the last Australian winner of a regular European Tour event, the Najeti Hotels et Golfs Open in France in June 201, whilst Scott himself won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational two months later.<br /><br />But next week’s Volvo China Open, which is co-sanctioned by the European Tour and OneAsia, will provide a stage for 14 Antipodeans to display their talents in the world’s most populous country in front of a live television audience of hundreds of millions.<br /><br />Leading the charge will be another Scott – this time Scott Strange, the winner of the tournament in 2009.<br />Strange, who recently relocated to Perth, said: “Being based back home has actually been good for me – it suits me at this point.<br /><br />“I am getting to spend a lot more time with my family, and the travel is not as brutal.”<br /><br />The 36 year old has climbed more than 500 places up the Official World Golf Rankings since the start of the year, thanks chiefly to his runner-up finishes in last month’s Thailand Open and the New Zealand PGA Championship in March.<br /><br />He is now knocking on the door of the top 300, having climbed as high as 89th place after winning the Volvo China Open in 2009.<br /><br />Other European Tour Members from Australian competing in the tournament are Marcus Fraser, Scott Hend, Brett Rumford, Richard Green and Andrew Dodt.<br /><br />The Volvo China Open will take place next week at Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club, in Tianjin.