Orient Masters
Orient Golf and Country Club
Xiamen, China
2nd - 5th April 1998

Second Round Report

Second Round Scores
First Round Report
First Round Scores

Park and Quinn retain overnight lead in Orient Masters

Xiamen, China, 3rd April 1998 - Korean Park No-seok and American Brian Quinn stayed in front in the US$200,000 Orient Masters, at the halfway stage of the Omega Tour event.

The two players fired one-under-par 71s in much calmer, brighter weather for a two-round total of three-under-par 141 at the Orient Golf and Country Club.

Park and Quinn lead by a stroke from Korea's Kang Wook-soon, Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit and Chawalit Plaphol, Danny Zarate of the Philippines, and American Shaun Micheel.

"I really want to play well this year and win on the Omega Tour," said Park. "I feel very confident about my game and am hoping for a very good year. I hit the ball very well today but just didn't make enough putts."

The Korean was slow to get going in the second round and played the front nine in one-over-par 37. He rallied on the homeward half with birdies on 13 and 16 to move to the top of the leaderboard.

Park has been winless as a professional until last year when he won three times on the Korean PGA Tour. He finished number two on the Korean money list, behind close friend Choi Kyung-ju.

"Everything went well last year but I feel I still have the right feeling this year to continue to play well," said Park. One of his wins in Korea in 1997 was the US$500,000 Philip Morris Asia Cup, which also counted as a major championship on the Omega Tour.

Quinn, a rookie on the Omega Tour, looked to have lost the second round lead after dropping a shot on the 16th. Birdies on the last two holes put him back on top.

"I didn't really get things going today," said Quinn. "Conditions were much easier but I struggled a bit. I need to start hitting it better over the next two days."

The lowest round of the day was recorded by Kang, winner of the 1996 Omega Order of Merit, who returned a four-under-par 68.

China's Zhang Lian-wei also moved into contention after firing a three-under-par 69 to lie at one under for the tournament with Taiwan's Wang Ter-chang and Lin Wen-tang, and Japan's Haruhito Yamamoto.

"I am well placed, just off the lead. I will be giving it my very best at the weekend as it will mean a lot to me to win my first strokeplay event on the Omega Tour," said Zhang, who fired five birdies over the Ronald Fream-designed layout.

The halfway cut in the tournament, which is a joint-sanctioned event with the China PGA Tour, was made at seven-over-par 151.