Race for Open spot continues with IFQ Asia

09 Mar 2010 - 10:14:00

The quest for a place in The Open Championship at St Andrews continues this week when 72 players from 18 nations will tee-off at Saujana Golf and Country Club, near Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, at International Final Qualifying - Asia on Wednesday.The 36-hole, two-day qualifying event will offer four places in the 150th Anniversary Open Championship at St Andrews, this July.Saujana hosted the first IFQ - Asia in 2004, and did so again in 2005 with the qualifiers earning places at St Andrews. Appropriately, therefore, in 2010 the event returns to the 6992 yards, par 72 Palm Course at Saujana after an absence of five years, with places on the Old Course at stake again. Saujana has hosted seven Malaysian Opens, as well as the 2002 World Amateur Team Championships.Competing for a place in at St Andrews is South Korean Noh Seung-yul, who won the Maybank Malaysian Open last Sunday, edging out compatriot KJ Choi by one shot. The 18 year old, currently lying second in the Asian Tour's Order of Merit and 15th on The European Tour's Race to Dubai, is joined at IFQ by Thailand's Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who finished in third place at Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club, two strokes behind. The highest-ranked player in the field is Hiroyuki Fujita, the current World Number 80. The 40 year old, who last played in The Open Championship at St Andrews in 2005, leads a strong Japanese contingent containing six of the nation's top 20 players. The two amateurs in the field are South Koreans Han Chang-won and Eric Chun. The pair earned their places at IFQ by virtue of their performance at the inaugural Asian Amateur Championship, held on Mission Hills' World Cup Course in China last November. As the first Asian Amateur Champion, taking the title by five strokes, Han also secured an invitation to the Masters Tournament in April, this year. Returning to IFQ - Asia in 2010, after successfully qualifying for Turnberry at Sentosa in 2009, are India's Gaganjeet Bhullar and Terry Pilkadaris of Australia. Bhullar, 21, made his Major Championship debut on the Ayrshire coast after finishing two strokes clear of the field at IFQ. Pilkadaris will be attempting to reach his third Open Championship, building on a strong record that has seen him progress through qualifying in 2007 at IFQ - Africa, as well in 2009 in Asia. All four of 2008's successful IFQ - Asia competitors - Danny Chia of Malaysia, Australia's Adam Blyth, Singaporean Lam Chih Bing and Angelo Que of the Philippines - are also in the starting field. Play is due to commence at 07:30 local time on both Wednesday and Thursday from two tees. Live scores and stories will be published on Opengolf.com throughout the days of competition.The full IFQ - Asia entry list and draw can also be found online at Opengolf.com.