 Yang Yong-eun, center, and Rory McIlroy, second from left, take part in a press conference for the Korea Open, Tuesday. The four-day tournament will run from Thursday to Sunday at the Woojeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province. / Yonhap |
By Yoon Chul
Reigning U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and Yang Yong-eun, the only Asian to win a major will compete at the Korea Open from Thursday to Sunday.
The pair will be the star draw at the Woojeong Hills Country Club in Cheonan where they will play for the 300 million won ($254,000) winner’s purse.
Defending champion Yang wil be looking for his third Korea Open title.
Last year, the 39-year-old Korean golfer overcame a 10-shot final round deficit to snatch victory.
In the three tournaments since the Korea Open moved to Woojeong Hills in 2008, Yang, who famously beat then-world No. 1 Tiger Woods to win the 2009 PGA Championship, has two wins and finished in a tie for third two years ago, with McIlroy ending on the same score.
Yang, who shared third at this year’s U.S. Open when McIlroy lifted the trophy, is full of confidence.
“This is my best favorite course,” Yang said Tuesday.
“If I am paired with McIlroy in the last group in the final round I will perform better.”
While many Korean golfers have named Yang as the strongest contender, he has picked the Northern Irishman, currently No. 3 in the world to top the leaderboard.
It is McIlroy’s second appearance at the Korea Open.
The 22-year-old, seen as the leader of a new era in golf, finished at 16-under to win the U.S. Open in June by eight shots, setting the record for the lowest score.
“As I shared third last time I will try to do better this year,” he said. “Though Yang is a strong contender for the win, as I beat him in the U.S. Open I want to win again this time.”
Rickie Fowler, the 2010 PGA Tour Rookie of the Year and Noh Seoun-yul, last year’s money leader on the Asian Tour are most likely to provide the stiffest competition at this year’s event.
Noh allowed Yang to come from behind to take last year’s crown and hopes he can get his revenge this time out.
“Last year I devoted my victory to Yang after collapsing. This time I will not allow it,“ Noh said with a smile.
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