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Tour winners primed for Pakistan challenge

India’s Gaurav Ghei and Korea’s Suk Jong-yul are among the Asian Tour champions vying for honours at the Pakistan Open from January 18-21.

After tasting success last season, Ghei and Suk will be amongst the top contenders at the Karachi Golf Club which is staging the US$300,000 Championship for the second straight year.

Other Asian Tour winners who will head full speed to Pakistan for the Tour's season-opener include talented South African Anton Haig, Australian Adam Le Vesconte and New Zealand's Richard Lee.

Australian Brad Kennedy, who finished 10th on last season's Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit, will also tee up in Karachi in his bid to land a first career title in the region.

The experienced Suk birdied his final hole to win the GS Caltex Maekyung Open in Korea last April for his maiden title while Ghei returned to winning ways by ending an 11-year drought at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters in October.

The duo will be aiming for a repeat in the Pakistan Open where England's Chris Rodgers will defend his title.

Other top Asian Tour stalwarts who will feature in the sub-continent include India’s Amandeep Johl, who finished joint second last year and Malaysia’s Iain Steel, who delivered his best result of the season in Karachi with a tied fourth place outing.

The 20-year-old Haig, rated as one of longest hitters in Asia, has emerged as an exciting prospect following his maiden success at the Pulai Springs Malaysian Masters where he defeated a field that included former Asian number one Jyoti Randhawa of India.

The Pakistan Open will also present an early opportunity for Le Vesconte and Lee to get their careers back onto a strong footing. Since winning the Philippine Open in 2005, Vesconte has not been able to establish himself, finishing outside the top-60 of the UBS Order of Merit in the last two seasons while Kiwi Lee has been unable to find the wings that saw him soar to victory at the Thailand Open two years ago.

Kennedy, a former European Tour regular, has registered nine top-10s including two runner-up finishes in his voyage in Asia and will be amongst those tipped to break through with a maiden title in the new season.

It will be similar tale for American birdie machine, Anthony Kang, who will be looking to end a six-year title drought. Winner of the Birdie Leader award in 2006 with 322 birdies throughout the season, the Korean-born Kang enjoyed an impressive year last season where he finished 15th on the UBS Order of Merit following 12 top-20 finishes.

Asian Tour Qualifying School winner Ben Leong of Malaysia and Australia’s Scott Hend, a former US PGA Tour regular, will also be looking to start their season on the Asian Tour on a strong note in Karachi.

January 4, 2007