Asian teen titans Noh Seung-yul of South Korea and Japanese superstar Ryo Ishikawa are looking to renew their friendly rivalry at the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open starting today.
The 19-year-olds are relishing the opportunity of outdoing each other at the ¥150 million (US$1.7 million) showpiece at the Rokko Kokusai Golf Club’s East course jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Japan Golf Tour.
“Noh is a great player. We first met when we were 14 in a Japan-versus-Korea junior match. I played against him and he beat me! I’ve been following his progress ever since,” said Ishikawa, last year’s Japan Tour No. 1 and the current money list leader.
Noh, who is the older of the two by about four months, is also heading up the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit although his career tally of two victory falls rather short of Ishikawa’s current haul of eight.
The talented Korean was disappointed they were not paired up for the first two rounds but is dreaming of a Sunday shootout.
“I was expecting to play with Ryo but it didn’t turn out that way,” said Noh, who instead drew Japanese legend Jumbo Ozaki. “I hope we can play together in the last round. It will be very exciting. The last time we played in the same group was in the Korean Open last year where he shot a couple of strokes better than me.”
While the laidback Noh has a shot at rewriting Asian golf history by becoming the youngest ever Asian Tour No. 1, he is still not quite as famous back home as Ishikawa is in his native land.
Ishikawa, who has won twice this season in Japan, has the appeal of a pop star thanks to his good looks and dashing play but Noh is not envious.
“I’m not so famous like Ryo. Maybe I have to win a Major to be as famous as he is. It doesn’t bother me,” said Noh, who won the Maybank Malaysian Open in March. Ishikawa is also hoping to contend this Sunday.
“We’ve not had a chance to play much together. Hopefully we can play together on Sunday afternoon in the last match,” said the teen nicknamed the “Bashful Prince” by the local media.
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