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473 sign up for Asian Tour Q-school

The hunt for Asian Tour cards continues next week in Thailand with a total of 473 players from no fewer than 30 countries vying for a slice of the US$26 million in total prize money on offer in the 2007 season.

Some 297 players will tee off in Stage One from December 6-9 at Pattana Golf and Sports Resort, the Plutaluang Golf Course in Pattaya, and the Emerald Golf Club in Rayong, Thailand.

In addition, a total of 47 players had entered Stage One qualifying held in conjunction with the PGA Tour of Australasia and Japan Golf Tour Qualifying Schools.

From the three venues, an estimated 45 players from Stage One will join an already exempted 129 players in the all-important Final Stage at Pattana and Emerald Golf Club from December 13-16 where the top-40 and ties will earn playing privileges on the Asian Tour.

Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han said: “We are delighted that our Qualifying School has attracted nearly 500 players from all over the world. It underlines the strong international appeal of the Asian Tour.

“With 29 confirmed events and over US$26 million on offer in the 2007 Asian Tour season, there will be plenty to play for at the Qualifying School in Thailand over the next two weeks.”

Among the hopefuls are David Gleeson, the 2002 Volvo China Open winner, and compatriots Jarrod Moseley and Lucas Parsons, both winners on the European Tour.

Lee Won-joon of Australia, who was highly rated as an amateur, has also entered for the Qualifying School and is exempted into the Final Stage.

Other leading Asian professionals looking to establish themselves on the Asian Tour include Gerald Rosales who won on home soil at the 2000 Philippine Open, New Zealander Eddie Lee who lifted the Maekyung Open title in Korea as an amateur in 2002 and former Australian Open winner Peter Fowler.

Sweden’s Stephen Lindskog, who topped the field in the 1999 Qualifying School, will also be hoping to relaunch his career which was highlighted by a victory at the 2000 Volvo Masters of Malaysia.

Highly rated Malaysian amateur Ben Leong, the 2005 Putra Cup winner, and promising Hong Kong youngster Jimmy Ko, winner of the Faldo Series Hong Kong Championship, will also be battling alongside the big boys for a spot on the Asian Tour.

December 1, 2006