Asian golf uncovered a new star this year with South Korean teen sensation Noh Seung-yul winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit race as a battle between rival tours raged on.
Noh became the youngest player ever to top the money list after bursting onto the scene by winning the European Tour co-sanctioned Malaysian Open in March, while China’s Liang Wenchong won the OneAsia Tour merit crown.
“I was happy to win the Malaysian Open this year. It allowed me to compete in Europe, the US and also the three Majors,” the 19-year-old said.
PHOTO: EPA
“It started from my win in Malaysia. The event was good for me,” Noh said.
Australia’s Marcus Fraser, who won the Ballantines Championship in South Korea in April, came second in the merit standings and said the Tour was fortunate to have a player of Noh’s caliber.
“Everyone knew it was going to happen. Noh Seung-yul was always going to fly away with the Order of Merit title,” he said. “He’s a great player. The Asian Tour is lucky to have him on the money list.”
In an open year, the only golfer to win more than once on the Asian Tour was Japan’s Tetsuji Hiratsuka (Myanamar Open and Queens Cup) while Siddikur became the first Bangladeshi to lift a trophy by claiming the Brunei Open.
Plenty of top European talent once again traveled to the region and some found success, including Padraig Harrington who snapped a two-year winless streak when he won the Johor Open in Malaysia.
Ian Poulter claimed the Hong Kong Open title while Adam Scott scored an unprecedented third victory at the Singapore Open.
The Asian Tour, meanwhile, set a new landmark by co-hosting a US PGA Tour event for the first time, with American Ben Crane holing a pressure-packed birdie at the last to lift the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic by a stroke.
“With such tremendous growth for golf in the region, the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic provided an exciting presence for the PGA Tour in Malaysia and Southeast Asia,” PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said.
A new 12-year television and production and global distribution deal was struck by the Asian Tour which players expect will attract more sponsors.
Thongchai Jaidee, by far the most successful golfer in the region, said the agreement would reap benefits.
“It could be really big for the Asian Tour,” he said.
However, undercurrents continued to run, with the Asian Tour and OneAsia Tour remaining at loggerheads.
OneAsia, which has brought together tours from China, South Korea and Australia, hosted 10 events, branching out into India and Thailand.
It plans at least 13 next year while the Asian Tour has announced a provisional 25-tournament schedule.
To counter any exodus, the Asian Tour rigorously enforced regulations that players who do compete on OneAsia without prior permission were fined US$5,000, with the threat of suspension hanging over them. Few made the jump.
Liang has been a firm supporter of OneAsia and topped their money list.
“I am very happy and honored. This is something that China supports and that gives me even more pride to take this trophy home,” he said. “This win will be encouraging for the development of golf back at home.”
ANFIELD BLUES: Kylian Mbappe arrived at Anfield on a run of 21 goals in 17 games, but he managed just three attempts in the match, none of them hitting the target Kylian Mbappe has been nearly unstoppable this season, but he hit a roadblock in their UEFA Champions League match at Anfield on Tuesday. For the second year running, the Real Madrid forward had a night to forget at Merseyside as Liverpool won 1-0. Mbappe looked a shadow of the player who has been tearing defenses apart all season. “We were lacking that threat in the final third,” said Madrid coach Xabi Alonso, without naming Mbappe individually. The FIFA World Cup winner for France rarely looked capable of finding a breakthrough against a Liverpool team who have been so defensively fragile for much of the
LOCAL SUCCESS: In the doubles, Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Jelena Ostapenko of Latvia defeated Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini in straight sets Elena Rybakina on Monday punched her ticket to the WTA Finals last four with an impressive 3-6, 6-1, 6-0 victory over second seed Iga Swiatek in round-robin play in Riyadh. After cruising past Amanda Anisimova in her opener on Saturday, Rybakina claimed her second win of the week to guarantee herself top spot in the Serena Williams Group. Anisimova on Monday rallied back from a set and a break down to triumph 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 in her all-American battle with seventh seed Madison Keys, who has been eliminated from the competition. “Madi was playing so well, it was quite a battle out there,”
Erling Haaland on Sunday scored twice to propel Manchester City up to second in the English Premier League with a 3-1 win over AFC Bournemouth. The Cherries started the day in second thanks to the longest unbeaten run in the English top flight, but Andoni Iraola’s side were undone by the scintillating form of the Norwegian striker, who took his tally to 13 Premier League goals in 10 games. Haaland’s relentless streak is maintaining City’s title challenge as they reduced the gap to leaders Arsenal back to six points and edged one point ahead of Liverpool, who they face at the weekend. “Important
For almost 30 minutes, Vitomir Maricic did not take a breath. Face down in a pool, surrounded by anxious onlookers, the Croatian freediver fought spasming pain to redefine what doctors thought was possible. When he finally surfaced, he had smashed the previous Guinness World Record for the longest breath-hold underwater by nearly five minutes. However, even with the help of pure oxygen before the attempt, it had pushed him to the limit. “Everything was difficult, just overwhelming,” Maricic, 40, told reporters, reflecting on the record-breaking day on June 14. “When I dive, I completely disconnect from everything, as if I’m not even there.
RSS