"A win by Liang, would be huge for the game beyond belief."

Steve Elling on Liang Wenchong, whose 64 reportedly has Tim Finchem at Saturday mass for the first time in years praying for a win by the Chinese golfer.

China already has hosted an Olympics, and golf is set to be added to the games in Brazil in 2016. With over 1 billion residents led by a government that is officially sports-obsessed, finding any sort of foothold in the game could turn around golf's flagging economic fortunes almost overnight.

A victory by Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson or one of the game's other young guns on the leaderboard would be memorable, but if Liang could hoist the trophy, it would make the win by South Korea's Y.E. Yang at the PGA last year look like a ripple in Lake Michigan. Liang, 32, is three shots behind American Nick Watney.

Setting aside all the flag-waving here in the States -- Americans occupy two of the top three spots on the 54-hole leaderboard -- and there's a greater good that might be achieved if Liang was able to pull off the upset.

"A win by Liang," longtime player manager Chubby Chandler said, "would be huge for the game beyond belief."