“Asian golf uncovers new star in Noh” plus 1 more |
| Asian golf uncovers new star in Noh Posted: 22 Dec 2010 05:46 PM PST SINGAPORE (AFP) – Asian golf uncovered a new star in 2010 with teen sensation Noh Seung-Yul winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit race as a battle between rival tours raged on. Noh became the youngest player ever to top the money list after bursting onto the scene by winning the European Tour co-sanctioned Malaysian Open in March, while China?s Liang Wenchong won the OneAsia Tour merit crown. "I was happy to win the Malaysian Open this year. It allowed me to compete in Europe, the US and also the three Majors," said the 19-year-old. "It started from my win in Malaysia. The event was good for me," added Noh, rookie of the year in 2008. Australia's Marcus Fraser, who won the Ballantines Championship in South Korea in April, came second in the merit standings and said the Tour was fortunate to have a player of Noh's calibre. "Everyone knew it was going to happen. Noh Seung-Yul was always going to fly away with the Order of Merit title," he said. "He's a great player. The Asian Tour is lucky to have him on the money list." In an open year, the only golfer to win more than once on the Asian Tour was Japan's Tetsuji Hiratsuka (Myanamar Open and Queens Cup) while Siddikur became the first Bangladeshi to lift a trophy by claiming the Brunei Open. Plenty of top European talent once again travelled to the region and some found success, including Padraig Harrington who snapped a two-year winless streak when he won the Johor Open in Malaysia. Ian Poulter claimed the Hong Kong Open title while Adam Scott scored an unprecedented third victory at the Singapore Open. The Asian Tour, meanwhile, set a new landmark by co-hosting a US PGA Tour event for the first time, with American Ben Crane holing a pressure-packed birdie at the last to lift the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic by a stroke. "With such tremendous growth for golf in the region, the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic provided an exciting presence for the PGA Tour in Malaysia and Southeast Asia," said PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem. A new 12-year television and production and global distribution deal was struck by the Asian Tour which players expect will attract more sponsors. Three-time Asian number one Thongchai Jaidee, by far the most successful golfer in the region, said the agreement would reap benefits. "It could be really big for the Asian Tour," he said. But undercurrents continued to run, with the Asian Tour and OneAsia Tour remaining at loggerheads. OneAsia, which has brought together tours from China, South Korea and Australia, hosted 10 events, branching out into India and Thailand. It plans at least 13 in 2011 while the Asian Tour has announced a provisional 25-tournament schedule. To counter any exodus, the Asian Tour rigorously enforced regulations that players who do compete on OneAsia without prior permission were fined 5,000 US dollars, with the threat of suspension hanging over them. Few made the jump. It was a sometimes rocky year for OneAsia which narrowly averted a boycott by South Korean players in April. They cited discontent at the number of places available to Koreans at the Maekyung Open, the SK Telecom Open and the Korea Open but the issue was resolved when they were given reassurances. Liang has been a firm supporter of OneAsia and topped their money list. "I am very happy and honoured. This is something that China supports and that gives me even more pride to take this trophy home," he said. "This win will be encouraging for the development of golf back at home." In a sign that more battles lie ahead, Asian Tour chief Kyi Hla Han said in September that two tours could not realistically exist in the same region. "I don't think it is fair for the players to have to chose and when we had our federation meetings at the Masters and the Open, people pretty much understood and acknowledged that there is not room for two tours," he said. This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
| Head to Head: Volkswagen Golf vs Volkswagen Polo Posted: 22 Dec 2010 05:06 PM PST Golf 77TSI, from $21,990 plus on-road and dealer costs versus Polo 77TSI, from $19,850 (five-door) plus on-road and dealer costs. Golf 77TSI - From $21,990 plus on-road and dealer costs. 1.2-litre turbo and supercharged 4-cyl; 77kW/175Nm; 6-sp man; 10.6L/100km and 144g/km CO2; FWD. Value: Entry-level Golf is a recent addition and feels a bit bare-boned. Gets 15-inch steel wheels, single-zone airconditioning but plastic steering wheel lacks audio controls and you can't add an alarm or Bluetooth function. Optional seven-speed twin-clutch gearbox adds $2500. Advertisement: Story continues below Inside: More spacious than smaller Polo sibling but cost eats into practicality, with no rear-seat storage pockets, rear luggage bay cover, rear-seat air vents, chilled glovebox. Rear bench split-folds but there's no armrest or ski port. Bottle opener in front-seat cupholders. Engine: Same engine has to lug around an extra 190 kilograms in the Golf's shell, so performance is dulled slightly by comparison. Penalty is fuel use, which is the highest of all the Golf models and twice that of the Polo. It's drinking the more expensive premium fuel, too, so running costs add up. How it drives: Polished ride and confident cornering show the Golf up as bigger and more upmarket than it really is. Some of the harsher bumps make their way into the cabin but otherwise most of the road's lumps and bumps are smoothed out. Close to class-leading. Safety: Seven airbags, stability control, five-star crash rating. Reversing sensors cost extra as a dealer-fit accessory. Verdict: This is a case where shopping further up the model range will reward you. The more fuel-efficient 1.4-litre engine that got the Golf over the line in 2009's Drive Car of the Year Polo 77TSI - From $19,850 (five-door) plus on-road and dealer costs. 1.2-litre turbo and supercharged 4-cyl; 77kW/175Nm; 6-sp man; 5.5L/100km and 128g/km CO2; FWD. Value: Sits higher on the model ladder than three-door versions. Gets nice chrome exterior trim, 15-inch alloys, centre armrest, cruise control, audio controls on leather steering wheel. Gains disc rear brakes over base three-door's drum rears. Same twin-clutch auto as Golf adds $2500. Inside: Matches the Golf but higher trim level adds rear armrest, storage pockets behind the front seat, height adjust for front passenger seat, illuminated vanity mirrors, rear interior light and more user-friendly add-ons to boot space. Engine: Downsized mill feels like it belongs in a detuned GTI rather than an upspec vanilla model. It rewards the driver when sitting higher up in the rev range, so the official fuel use on premium fuel is only a rough guide to what's achievable. Good torque spread works well in stop-start city traffic. How it drives: Smooth and comfortable ride even over rougher surfaces, with strong grip and predictable handling. Cabin is nicely insulated from road noise and light steering helps with tight car-park manoeuvres. Only marginally bettered by the Ford Fiesta in terms of driver enjoyment. Safety: Set city-car safety benchmark with six airbags, stability crash rating. Optional reversing sensors available. Verdict: Fun, dynamic, capable and at home in the city, the Polo trumps the Golf on any benchmark other than size and the want of an extra airbag. Deserving 2010 Drive Car of This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service — if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read our FAQ page at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php |
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