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| November 28, 2001 | Wednesday | Ramazan 12, 1422 |
HK Open to decide Asian top player
HONG KONG, Nov 27: The seesaw battle between Korea’s Charlie Wi and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee to be crowned Asian number one will be decided at the Asian tour’s final event of the year, the Hong Kong Open.
The co-sanctioned $700,000 million tournament, starting Thursday, is also the second event on the 2002 European Tour schedule.
And some jet-setting stars are seeking a jump start on their peers in the battle for European Tour Order of Merit honours.
Thongchai just failed to force a playoff in last week’s Asian Open in Taipei with eventual winner Jarmo Sandelin of Sweden when his birdie putt from 30 feet on the 18th hole pulled up agonizingly short.
However the former Thai paratrooper’s final round 67 was enough to earn him a joint second place with two time US Masters champion Jose Maria-Olazabal.
More importantly, a cheque for $129,920 pushed his earnings for the year to $342,348 and enabled him to open up a narrow $27,521 advantage over Wi, who was joint 11th last week, in the the Asian Order of Merit.
Both players have displayed tremendous consistency all season. Wi is a three time winner while Thongchai has won once and claimed no less than 10 top 10 finishes.
Thongchai, who also qualified and played all four rounds at this year’s US Open, will win the Asian Order of Merit if Wi does not finish fifth or higher.
However, if Wi scoops the winner’s cheque or finishes second on his own — worth $77,910 (and Jaidee does not win), then the Korean will be victorious.
Standing in their way will be former Ryder Cup star Sandelin, who is keen to maintain the momentun from his victory last week which ended a two-year winless slump.
The Swede is among a number of European Tour stars keen to take the title and the $113,050 winners cheque on offer at the Hong Kong Golf Club.
Olazabal, big hitting Australian prodigy Adam Scott and in-form New Zealander Michael Campbell will be vying for that right.
Campbell is looking to continue a red hot streak that saw him narrowly miss out in the World Cup in Japan two weeks ago and burst out of the pack last week to secure a sixth place finish in Taiwan with a blistering final round 66.
The Kiwi only decided to compete here last week after big hitting American John Daly pulled out citing a fear of flying in the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Campbell told reporters: “My expectations this week are very high. I’m hopefully going to do the job, but the course will provide some tough conditions and also the players are of a very high quality.
Other players to watch include Aussie Kim Felton, who shot an 11-under-par 60 in the second round here last year and went on to finish tied second, behind Englishman Simon Dyson.
Dyson, who clinched the Asian Order of Merit with his victory last year, is back to defend his title after experiencing a mixed season on the European PGA tour.—AFP
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