Cunning hits $100,000 mark on Omega Tour
Cunning hits $100,000 mark on Omega Tour
JAKARTA (JP): American Mike Cunning is the first player this
year to pass the US$100,000 mark on the Asian PGA's Omega Tour.
The 39-year-old from Arizona did so after yet another solid
performance on the Omega Tour put him into top spot on the Omega
Order of Merit.
Cunning finished joint third in the $500,000 Asia Pacific
Ericsson Masters at Bintan Lagoon Golf and Beach Resort in Riau
last weekend and won $28,000 to take his earnings in 1997 to
$109,423.
The American moved into the number one position on the Omega
Order of Merit for the first time this year displacing compatriot
Gerry Norquist, who missed the cut in Bintan.
Although Cunning is still winless on the Omega Tour his high
placed finish in Bintan, which was the 10th leg of the Tour, was
his fifth top-10 placing of the year.
This season he has finished second in the DFS Galleria Guam
Open, third in the Vietnam Open and joint third in the Volvo
China Open.
Cunning's form this year has been typical of his record in
Asia. A contender week-in week-out he has surprisingly only won
twice in Asia, despite having competed in the region for many
seasons.
Australian Darren Cole, who beat India's Jeev Milkha Singh in
a sudden-death play-off for the Ericsson event, moved into joint
fifth place on the Merit list.
Cole, taking a week out from his European Tour campaign,
earned $80,750 for his win in what was his first appearance of
the year on the Omega Tour.
Singh, a three-time winner on the Omega Tour, leapfrogged into
third position after winning $55,650.
After Bintan, the Omega Tour moved to Malaysia with the
$300,000 Mild Seven Kuala Lumpur Open at Saujana Golf and Country
Club from Sept. 18 to Sept. 21. (rsl)
Rankings:
1. Mike Cunning (USA) $109,423
2. Gerry Norquist (USA) $91,355
3. Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) $91,300
4. Zaw Moe (Myn) $88,590
5. Darren Cole (Aus) $80,750
6. Park No-seok (Kor) $80,750
7. Cheng Jun (Chn) $79,250
8. Fran Quinn (USA) $74,205
9. Des Terblanche (Rsa) $70,207
10. Mo Joong-kyung (Kor) $68,319
11. Boonchu Ruangkit (Tha) $62,685
12. Park Nam-sin (Kor) $60,510
13. Jerry Smith (USA) $50,638
14. Chang Tse-peng (Tpe) $50,280
15. Adrian Percey (Aus) $50,162
16. Tiger Woods (USA) $48,450
17. John Kernohan (USA) $47,331
18. Ted Purdy (USA) $45,191
19. John Senden (Aus) $44,944
20. Craig Parry (Aus) $44,412