Huh Suk-ho, Ranks First in Japan in Prize-money

“This coming British Open will be different. Last year’s game was my first ever experience on a links course, and I have learned more than enough about how the game should be played.”

With his second win of the season at the Japan Golf Tour (JGTO) Championship, 31-year-old Huh Suk-ho (Lee Dong Soo Fashion) became the first ever Korean male golfer to be ranked first in prize money in a Japanese tour with 67,640,000 yen.

Going into British Open 2004 (from July 15~18 Royal Troon GC), his third major tour this season, he is nothing short of being ambitious. His bitter memory of last year’s final fourth round still haunts him. He remained a likely winner through his first three rounds, but he ended up in 28th place, finishing the final round with a 6-over par 77.

If in fact he wins the tour, he will be able to enter the U.S. PGA Tour without going through the torturous qualifying school.

Having failed the qualifying school last year, he is pondering over the registration for the qualifying school because now he has various options to enter the U.S. PGA Tour.

Once he reapplies for the qualifying school, he will be exempted from the first two preliminary matches to try out for the final qualifying school. The top three players who want a shot at the qualifying school within the top 10 ranks in the Japan Tour are eligible to go nonstop to the qualifying school. Considering his season record of two wins and ranking within the top 10 six times, he is safely tucked within the top three.

Also, with the last week’s win, his place at the world rankings soared from 96th to 77th, and if he manages to rank within the top 50, he may play at the U.S. PGA main tournament with a sponsor’s invitation without being seeded.

With his last win, he now has more opportunities to score additional world ranking points with a number of invitational games, having already been invited to the 2004 World Gold Championship – NEC Invitational with a purse of $7 million which will begin in August.

Japan, to Huh Suk-ho, however, is a stopover point on his way to the United States. Huh Suk-ho is still thirsty for more.

Young-Sik Ahn ysahn@donga.com