Noh targeting Open place

Korean teenager out to build on Kuala Lumpur success

Last updated: 9th March 2010   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Noh targeting Open place

Noh: victorious in Kuala Lumpur

Also see

Maybank Malaysian Open champion Noh Seung-yul heads up a 72-man field at this week's Asian qualifier for the 2010 Open Championship.

A total of four places at St Andrews are up for grabs when the two-day qualifier gets underway at Saujana Golf and Country Club in Malaysia on Wednesday.

Noh held his nerve in impressive style over the weekend as he pipped veteran compatriot KJ Choi by one shot to claim a second career title in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday.

However, the 18-year-old has had precious little time to let the victory sink in and must now turn his attentions to the Open qualifier.

After carding a 10-under-par opening-round 62 to lead the first round of last year's Malaysian Open at Saujana, Noh is one of the favourites to advance, along with Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Andrew Dodt of Australia and Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnratm, who finished tied third last weekend.

"My confidence is high and I'm still feeling good. Playing in a major is every golfer's dream and it is no different for me," explained the emerging Korean talent.

"I have good memories of the course and I know this course. It will be difficult this week so I must not take things lightly. Hopefully I will be in the top four."

Dodt is another to have tasted success already this season having won the Avantha Masters in India last month, while India's Gaganjeet Bhullar landed the season-opening Asian Tour International in Bangkok.

Dodt, who narrowly missed out by a just a single stroke at last year's qualifier in Singapore, stated: "This is the one everyone is talking about. Everyone wants to play in St Andrews so you just have to go all out and not hold back.

"I will be trying my best and hope to be one of the top four after 36 holes."

Chinese starlet Wu Ashun, Singapore's Lam Chih Bing and Malaysian duo Danny Chia and Iain Steel are also amongst the field, while there is a strong Japanese contingent headed by world number 80 Hiroyuki Fujita and Tetsuji Hiratsuka, who is a five-time winner in Japan.

Steel, whose father is Scottish and mother is Malaysian, holds the distinction of being the first Malaysian to play in the Open in 1996 and he hopes it will be third time lucky this year after narrowly missing out over the last two years.