20 nations to line up for Fortis International Challenge

A total of 20 nations have signed up for the Fortis International Challenge at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club from September 27-30 where the Asian Tour stars are strongly tipped to sparkle.

Two-man teams from Asia, Europe and Africa will chase for five tickets to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China in November and amongst the early favourites include Chinese Taipei, Holland, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and home team Malaysia, who will be represented by Airil Rizman and Iain Steel.

Lin Wen-tang, winner of the Brunei Open earlier this month, will spearhead Chinese Taipei alongside brother Wen-hong as they bid for their maiden World Cup appearance.

“I’m looking forward to the Fortis International Challenge,” said Lin. “It’ll be great if we can finish in the top-five as I’ve never played in the World Cup previously. I remembered that Wang Ter-chang and Chang Tse-peng qualified at Kota Permai two years ago, so hopefully we can emulate them.”

Lee Sung, who was born deaf, could complete a fairy-tale season with a successful campaign with partner Lee Seung-ho. Lee Sung claimed his breakthrough Asian Tour triumph at the Bangkok Airways Open in June and his strong performance caught the attention of South African star Ernie Els when they played together at the BMW Asian Open earlier this year.

“It’s amazing what he’s doing as so much from what we do comes from feel and sound,” said Els.

Filipino Tony Lascuna will be looking to ride on his rich vein of form when he partners Gerald Rosales in the Fortis International Challenge. Lascuna has finished tied second and third in his last two starts on the Asian Tour and he will be determined to regain his magic touch alongside the talented Rosales at Kota Permai.

After finishing behind compatriot and winner Artemio Murakami in the inaugural Iskandar Johor Open in Malaysia last month, Lascuna is looking to step up a notch. “My form has been good recently and hopefully, I can maintain it when we play in Malaysia again,” said Lascuna.

If the Italian duo of Francesco Molinari and Emanuel Canonica had provided the European flair at last year’s qualifier, this year’s challenge will be led by Maarten Lafeber and Robert-Jan Derksen of Holland, both European Tour winners.

Derksen, winner of the Dubai Desert Classic in 2003 and Madeira Island Open in 2005, and Lafeber, the Dutch Open champion in 2003, have enjoyed success in Malaysia previously when they teamed up for the qualifier in 2001 and earned a place in the World Cup by finishing tied fifth. They have since played in two other World Cups together in 2004 and 2005.

Switzerland’s Martin Rominger, an Asian Tour regular, will be looking for a second successive appearance in the World Cup but he will have a new partner by his side in the form of Robert Wiederkehr.

With New Zealand’s Michael Campbell, the 2005 US Open champion, not gaining automatic entry into the World Cup through the Official World Golf Ranking, Stephen Scahill and Richard Lee, both regulars on the Asian Tour, will attempt to play their way to China.

Lee is a former Thailand Open champion while Scahill, who featured on the European Tour for over a decade before heading to Asia, are teaming up for the first time.

The Fortis International Challenge will use the fourball (better ball) format in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds.

A total of 18 teams will qualify automatically for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup through the Official World Golf Rankings. Five qualifying places are available at the Fortis International Challenge and Nations Cup in South America respectively, which will bring the total number of teams for the World Cup to 28.

The teams who have entered the Fortis International Challenge are as follows:

Chinese Taipei: Lin Wen-tang, Lin Wen-hong
Ghana: Emos Korblah, Victor Brave Mensah
Holland: Robert Jan Derksen, Maarten Lafeber
Hong Kong: James Stewart, Wong Woon Man
Iceland: Birgir Leifur Hatthorsson, Sigurpall Geir Sveinsson
Korea: Lee Sung, Lee Seung-ho
Myanmar: Zaw Moe, Soe Kyaw Naing
Malaysia: Iain Steel, Airil Rizman
Mauritius: Billy Narraina, Vishnoo Seeneevassen
New Zealand: Stephen Scahill, Richard Lee
Nigeria: Odoh Andrew Oche, Umoh Michaeledet
Nepal: Shiva Ram Shrestha, Sachin Bhattarai
Pakistan: Muhammad Munir, Muhammad Shabbir
Philippines: Tony Lascuna, Gerald Rosales
Russia: Korchak Igor, Ostankov Victor
Swaziland: Meshack Zwane, Moses Shongwe
Singapore: Lam Chih Bing, Mardan Mamat
Switzerland: Martin Rominger, Robert Wiederkehr
Slovenia: Andrej Kraljic, Janez Grilc
Uganda: Deo Akope, Godfrey Mande

September 13, 2007

Bookmark page with:

Return to Top of Page