Wednesday November 4, 2009
Yong-eun spearheads Asian challenge
SHANGHAI: Yang Yong-eun headlines a powerful Asian challenge at this week’s HSBC Champions, with the Korean looking to repeat his memorable victory over Tiger Woods here in 2006.
The 37-year-old Korean will attempt to carve another niche for himself in the game’s record books when he bids to become the first player to win the tournament, now elevated to a World Golf Championship event, twice.
Tiger tamer: Yang Yong-eun of South Korea in action during the Presidents Cup in San Francisco on Oct 9. — Reuters When he triumphed in Shanghai three years ago he was relatively unknown outside his homeland but that changed when he won the US PGA Championship in August, the first Asian to win a Major.
“Even to this day, I try to revive the feeling I had the week I won the HSBC three years ago,” said Yong-eun, who also captured the Honda Classic on the US PGA Tour in March.
The victory over Woods here was so etched in his memory that he used it to engineer another victory over the world’s best golfer at the PGA Championship.
“On the final day at the PGA Championship, I was drawing on the feelings I had when I won in Shanghai,” he said.
“I was trying to recapture the calmness and the serenity, and it worked.”
Alongside Yang, the Asian challenge will be bolstered by an impressive cast of champions from across the continent.
Japan provides the precocious talent of 18-year-old Ryo Ishikawa alongside established stars Daisuke Maruyama, Shingo Katayama and Yuta Ikeda.
Elsewhere, the experienced Jeev Milkha Singh — a winner of 18 tournaments around the globe — spearheads India’s tilt at the title while another seasoned campaigner, Thongchai Jaidee, leads the quest for Thailand.
Other Asian Tour players in the field include India’s Jyoti Randhawa and Gaganjeet Bhullar, Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat and Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing. — AFP
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