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