BEIJING - Luxehills champion Chen Jian is hoping his improved short game will help him justify his tag as one of the favourites at this week's 100,000 US dollar Dongfeng Nissan Teana Open in China.

Chen was a surprise winner in last week's Luxehills Golf Championship in Chengdu, four years after his last top-10 finish on the Omega China Tour.

The Kunming-based 34-year-old competes again on the Tour this week at the new Anji King Valley Country Club, in Zhejiang province, where most of the challenges lie on the sloping greens.

"King Valley is not long but it's quite difficult, especially on the greens. You really need to pay attention on every stroke, especially on your approach shots, as you can roll off the greens," he said.

"It was overwhelming to win in Chengdu but this week is a new beginning. I need to forget about last week and start again," added Chen, who will play the first two rounds with Dell winner Wu Weihuang and national team amateur Huang Wenyi.

Liao Guiming, who finished fourth last week, has been drawn with big-hitting Kurt Barnes, winner of April's Sofitel Zhongshan IGC Open, and Thailand's Thaworn Wiratchant, the 10-time Asian Tour winner making his Omega China Tour debut.

"Thaworn's a top player. He has a very unusual swing and putting style, but obviously it works. He seems to hole everything," said Barnes, one of nine PGA Tour of Australasia pros in the field.

This week features one of the Omega China Tour's most competitive fields due to a particularly strong foreign contingent.

Thaworn is one of five Mercedes-Benz Tour pros from Southeast Asia, along with compatriots Wisut Artjanawat and Pariya Junhasavasdikul - both of whom  also play on the Asian Tour - and Singaporeans Goh Kun Yang and Choo Tze Huang.