2007 GS Caltex Maekyung Open

The 39-year-old claimed his maiden Asian Tour victory some 12 months ago with a thrilling one-shot triumph over American Bryan Saltus but will tee up at Nam Seoul Country Club a little short of confidence.

Suk started the 2007 season strongly with a tied fifth finish at the Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open but has missed his last three cuts in Asia which by his admission isn't the most ideal of preparation for his title defence.

"I'm looking forward to my defence. I can remember my win well from last year and I hope to play well again," said Suk, who recorded his triumph on a different course at Lakeside Country Club last year.

He will face a strong field in the US$600,000 Asian Tour event which includes the in-form Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand, who finished third in last week's inaugural Pine Valley Beijing Open, China's Liang Wen-chong, who is second on the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit, and this season's winners Chapchai Nirat of Thailand and Malaysia's Airil Rizman.

Korea's Hur Suk-ho, better known as SK Ho and a six-time winner in Japan, will tee up on home soil looking to win a first Maekyung title while former US Ryder Cup player Chris Riley will also headline the event.

Saltus, who possesses one of the most unique but trusty golf swings on the Asian Tour, will also be hoping to improve by one rung from last year's terrific performance.

“I have taken on a new outlook to the game and have become so much more serious in achieving good results. I have put in a lot more effort in improving my game this season in comparison to previous years in my aim to become a more accomplished player. It has been a rollercoaster ride so far but I’ll keep working at it,” said Saltus.

Filipino Angelo Que will also be fired up for another solid week after producing his best result in the past one year in Beijing last week where he finished tied fifth.

Another player looking to erase the bitter memories of a loss last year is Korea's Lee Sung, who was born deaf. He took a two-shot lead into the final round but finished third after being overhauled by Suk and Saltus.

The smooth-swinging 27-year-old earned praises from South African Ernie Els at the recent BMW Asian Open, who predicted a bright future for Lee.

"Lee is very good. He putted really well and he's got a good golf swing. I'm not sure how old he is but he seems to be a very good player. He's a solid player. Keep working and he's going to have a big future," said the Big Easy.

The GS Caltex Maekyung Open is the 13th leg of this season's Asian Tour season which includes a record 29-event Schedule offering an unprecedented US$28 million in total prize money.

May 2, 2007

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