As of late 2009, veteran golfer Lu Wen-Teh was 336th in the World Golf Ranking, with 10 professional victories and $1,318,253 in earnings since turning pro in 1992. In 2008, he had finished 18th in the Order of Merit and had four top-10 finishes. He showed few signs of slowing down until the 2009 Asian Tour: Lu had missed making the cut in five consecutive 2009 tournaments until finishing tied for 25th place at the Indonesia President Invitational.
Background
Born Feb. 26, 1963 in Chinese Taipei, Lu has been one of the top golfers to come from the region; he was the Republic of China's top-ranked golfer in 1994. He has had great success on his home soil, earning his first Asian Tour victory at the 1998 Ericsson Classic, and a record four victories at the Mercuries Masters, including consecutive wins in 2007--2008. His other two victories came in 1994 and 1996 when the Mercuries Masters was not yet a part of the Asian Tour. He also won the 1994 Republic of China PGA Tour Order of Merit. He is married and has three children, and resides in Danshu, Taiwan.
Best Seasons
Lu's best season on the Asian Tour came in 1997 despite not winning any tournaments that year. He finished in the Top 10 four times that season, including finishing second twice, which helped him end up third in the Order of Merit rankings. He finished in the Top 10 in the Order of Merit in two other seasons. He finished eighth in 1998 and ninth in 2007.
Asian Tour Victories
Besides the three Asian Tour victories in Chinese Taipei, Lu also had two other victories on tour. He won the Bangkok Airways Open in 2005. In 2007 he won the Macau Open by defeating Australia's Richard Moir in a sudden-death playoff during which he was forced to birdie the 18th hole three times.
Close Calls
Lu finished second five times in his career on the Asian Tour. His most memorable near-misses came at the 2008 Brunei Open and at the 2007 Bangkok Airways Open. He lost in a playoff to Australian Rick Kulacz at the Brunei Open. In Bangkok, he led by one stroke with two holes to play, but lost the lead with a triple bogey on the 17th hole.
Other Highlights
Lu's first career victory came at the 1990 Thailand Open before he officially became a professional in 1992. His four other pro victories in non-Asian Tour tournaments came at the 1994 and 1996 Mercuries Masters, the 1994 Republic of China PGA Tour Order of Merit, and the 2008 Kunming Championship in China.
About The Author
Darin McGilvra is a writer in Southern California. He has been a writer since 1997. He worked as a sports writer and copy editor for newspapers for more than 12 years before becoming a freelance writer. His articles have appeared recently in "The Californian" newspaper in Temecula, Calif. McGilvra holds a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics education from Northwest Nazarene College.
