Noh Completes Start-to-end Win in Guangzhou

Published on October 20, 2008 by brooks | This story has been viewed 389 views

South Korean teenager Noh Seung-yul became the third youngest winner on the Asian Tour after claiming the US$500,000 Midea China Classic in Guangzhou, southern Guangdong Province, yesterday.

Noh fought off a spirited challenge from Terry Pilkadaris by posting a three-under 68 for a 17-under-par 267 total and a one-stroke victory over the 34-year-old Australian.

Singapore’s Mardan Mamat enjoyed his third top-10 finish of his Asian Tour season so far by finishing tied for third, along with Korean Park Jun-won and Chinese Taipei’s Lu Wei-chih, on matching 269s.

Noh, who had maintained a stoic expression throughout the week, finally broke into a smile when he lifted the trophy and the US,250 winner’s check.?

“I always try to control my emotions when I play as I tend to focus solely on my game. Maybe I should learn to relax more now and enjoy my game,” said Noh who is now the third youngest player after Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil and compatriot Kim Dae-sub to win on the Asian Tour.

Noh started the day with a two-stroke lead and he increased it to three with an opening birdie. But he bogeyed the third to allow Park, who was in close second, to draw level then.

The teenager, however, recovered and picked up two more birdies on the fourth and sixth to extend his lead to two.

With Park dropping a shot on the 13th and Pilkadaris posting three more birdies after the turn, it was down to the wire between Noh and the Autralian at the closing 18th.

However, with Pilkadaris failing to sink a birdie that could have forced a playoff, the title was effectively handled over to 17-year-old Noh who has now qualified for the HSBC Champions in Shanghai next month.

Mardan, who was six strokes behind Noh overnight, went on a six-birdie blitz to force himself back into contention.

With Noh at the top of his game, the 41-year-old had to settle for a share of third place with a 64.

Home favorite Liang Wenchong ended his campaign in tied-16th, finishing at 274.

In Kapalua, Hawaii, Morgan Pressel moved into position for her first US LPGA Tour victory of the year, shooting a five-under 67 for a share of the third-round lead at the Kapalua LPGA Classic on Saturday.

The 20-year-old Pressel, Kapalua’s touring pro, was tied with Brittany Lang (71), Carin Koch (68), Lee Jee-young (70) at five-under 211.

Pressel missed an easy opportunity to move to six-under for the outright lead when she lipped out a two-foot birdie putt on the final hole. She slapped herself on the rear and threw her putter onto her golf bag in disgust as she walked off the green.

“It’s hard to walk off the last hole like that,” Pressel said. “I just missed it. Nothing else to say about that.”

There was a traffic jam at the top with 16 players within three shots of the lead.

Yoo Sun-young, Laura Diaz and Chung Il-mi shot 71s and were one stroke off the lead along with first-round leader Suzann Pettersen (72). Heather Young (67), Cristie Kerr (70) and Alena Sharp (72) were at three-under.

Annika Sorenstam, who opened with a 77, shot a 71 and was at two-over. The 72-time US LPGA Tour winner is making one of her last competitive appearances in the United States before leaving the tour at the end of the year.

Top-ranked Lorena Ochoa was even par after a 73.

“I really didn’t make any putts to get some momentum going,” Ochoa said.

“I think the grain is easy to read. It’s more about the wind and some of those greens are really windy.”

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