TANI LEADS ONEASIA Q SCHOOL DESPITE BOGEY-BOGEY FINISH

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE ONEASIA TOUR

KOTA KINABALU, Malaysia - Japan's Akinori Tani fired a brilliant four-under-par 67 today to grab a one-stroke lead after two rounds of OneAsia's Q-School at Sutera Harbour Golf and Country Club in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

After shooting par in the opening round, Tani could have had an even more comfortable cushion had he not bogeyed the last two holes, wilting under a scorching Sabah sun.

South Korean Kim Young-kyu (68) was alone in second place, while countrymen Song Jin-oh (70) and Park Sung-hyuk (69) share third at one under for the tournament with Filipino Edward Reyes (69) and New Zealander Nick Gillespie (73). 

With places in the tour's prestigious million-dollar tournaments at stake, nearly 200 players from around the world signed up for Q-School this year. Ten spots went to the top finishers at last week's qualifier at Industry Hills Golf Club in Los Angeles, California, and 14 await the participants at Sutera Harbour.

"My shots were good and my putts were good, but by the time we came to the last two holes it was really hot and I lost my concentration," said Tani.

A professional for nearly two decades, Tani is trying Q-School because of OneAsia's burgeoning relationship with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO). Next month's Thailand Open and Indonesian PGA Championship will be the opening events on both calendars, with earnings to count for both Orders of Merit.

"I played in Indonesia last year through the JGTO, but I didn't get my card this year so I thought I would try Q-School here," said Tani, 38, who hails from a small town near Okinawa.

"Actually I am surprised there are not more Japanese players here this week. OneAsia has very good events."

The winners of both legs of Q-School are guaranteed starts at all OneAsia's tournaments in 2013, while those who finish second and third will likely start most events. 

Positions are then accorded proportionally between the Malaysian and U.S. Q-Schools.

Second-placed Kim, who went to high school in Christchurch, New Zealand, lost his Korean Tour card last year but is keen to stretch his wings beyond his homeland's domestic tour. 

"This is really important for me," said the 28-year-old. "It would be great to play tournaments outside Korea. I'd love that."

 

Reyes (left), who was born in Manila but went to school in England, was delighted with his effort.

 

"It was playing tricky out there," said the 21-year-old. "I told myself I'd take anything under par at this stage."

 

Since turning pro straight from high school in 2011, Reyes spent two years playing mini tours in north America -- but has now established a base back in the Philippines.

 

"You hear a lot about OneAsia -- particularly the big purses," said Reyes.

"I am just looking to get as much experience as I can and hopefully get some status somewhere. There have been some up and downs so far, but it has all been a good learning experience."

Some 15 nationalities were represented at both legs of Q-School, and the top of the leaderboard at Sabah is a kaleidoscope of foreign flags with Wolmer Murillo (73) from Venezuela sharing seventh place with Chinese Taipei's Huang Tao (69) and overnight leader Michael Choi (75) of Australia.

Some 80 players made a cut set at 11 over par.

OneAsia was founded in 2009 by the China Golf Association, the Korea Golf Tour, the Korea Golf Association and the PGA of Australia.

It has since doubled in size, and the tour's elite suite of tournaments now includes the national Opens of Australia, China, Korea and Thailand -- as well as numerous other prestigious events.

The first event of the 2013 season will be the U.S.$ 1 million Thailand Open from March 14-17.

 

SECOND-ROUND SCOREBOARD

 

After the second round of OneAsia Q-School (Sabah) played at the  6,440-metre (6,867-yard) par-71 Sutera Harbour Golf & Country Club (* denotes amateur):

 

138 - Akinori TANI (JPN) 71 67

139 - KIM Young-kyu (KOR) 71 68

141 - Edward REYES (PHI) 72 69, PARK Sung-hyuk (KOR) 72 69, SONG Jin-oh (KOR) 71 70, Nick GILLESPIE (NZL) 68 73

142 - Wolmer MURILLO (VEN) 69 73, HUANG Tao (TPE) 73 69, Michael CHOI (AUS) 67 75, WON Doo-kyun (KOR) 74 68

143 - PARK Jin-woo (KOR) 73 70, CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 73 70, Blair WILSON (AUS) 70 73, Daniel FOX (AUS) 71 72

144 - KIM Min-jun (KOR) 73 71, PARK Sang-wook (KOR) 72 72, Hamza AMIN (AUT) 68 76, KIM Tae-hoon (KOR) 74 70, PARK Hyo-won (KOR) 70 74, Henry EPSTEIN (AUS) 72 72, Matthew JOHNSTON (CAN) 69 75, SEO Jeoung-min (KOR) 71 73, KIM Jin-kyung (KOR) 72 72

145 - Richard LEE (NZL) 77 68, Adam SHAW (MAL) 70 75, Richard T LEE (CAN) 73 72, LEE Seung-chul (KOR) 74 71, Daniel VALENTE (AUS) 74 71, LEE Dae-jun (KOR) 75 70, LEE Hoon-heui (KOR) 71 74, Darren GRIFF (CAN) 72 73, PARK Il-hwan (KOR) 74 71

146 - LEE Jung-oh (KOR) 70 76, Do-eun AN (AUS) 80 66, CHOI Bo-kyu (KOR) 73 73, SHIN Hyuk-chul (KOR) 74 72, LEE Jeong-woo (KOR) 73 73, KANG Ji-man (KOR) 70 76

147 - PARK Jun-sub (KOR) 77 70, PARK Min-jun (KOR) 70 77, LIM Seung-eun (KOR) 71 76

148 - Tim WOOD (AUS) 74 74, KIM Hyung-tae 837 (KOR) 72 76, KWON Hyuk-koan (KOR) 73 75, LEE Ji-hoon (KOR) 72 76, Jun AN (KOR) 74 74

149 - KIM Jun-kyum (KOR) 73 76, Taichi NABETANI (JPN) 74 75, BAEK Seung-min (KOR) 79 70, KWON Sung-youl (KOR) 75 74, KIM Young-bon (KOR) 75 74, PARK Chan-kyu (KOR) 76 73, CHO Hong-ryul (KOR) 73 76, KIM Ji-hoon (KOR) 74 75, PARK Jin-seon (KOR) 73 76

150 - LIM Jong-ho (KOR) 78 72, LEE Jun-Hyuk (KOR) 76 74, MOON Tae-yang (KOR) 75 75, JUNG Taek-lim (KOR) 77 73, Brendan SMITH (AUS) 72 78, Nabil ABDUL (AUS) 75 75, LEE Dong-hoon (AM) (KOR) 76 74, KIM Hyun-il (KOR) 73 77, CHOI Jin-gyu * (KOR) 75 75

151 - Brent McCULLOUGH (AUS) 75 76, NOH Kyung-rok (KOR) 76 75, Fumihiro EBINE (JPN) 75 76, YU Gyoung-yoon (KOR) 76 75, CHOI Seong-Jin (KOR) 76 75

152 - KIM Ki-soo (KOR) 81 71, KIM Sin-kwan (KOR) 74 78, JIN Young-gab (KOR) 79 73, KIM Yeun-sub (KOR) 71 81, HA Chung-hoon (KOR) 75 77, PARK Chan-joon (KOR) 75 77, MUN Do-yeob (KOR) 79 73, PARK Gun-woo (KOR) 75 77, KIM Dong-hyeon (KOR) 77 75, LEE Jae-hyeok (KOR) 78 74

153 - LIN Kuan-po (TPE) 77 76

MISSED THE CUT

154 - Stephen LINDSKOG (SWE)  78 76, Lindsay Michael RENOLDS (CAN)  74 80, JI Kwang-suk (KOR)  79 75, Ian SONG (KOR)  76 78, Rika BATIBASAGA (AUS)  t77 77

155 - KIM Min-gu * (KOR)  78 77, KONG Yoon-sik (KOR)  78 77, YOO Sung-yong (KOR)  79 76, CHO Eun-seol (KOR)  77 78

156 - SHIN Yong-bu (KOR)  81 75, CHAE Sung-duk (KOR)  82 74, KIM Tae-woo (KOR)  82 74, KIM Woo-hyun (KOR)  78 78, CHAE Bum-geun (KOR)  t75 81

157 - JEOUNG Sung-hun (KOR)  78 79

158 - LEE Dae-han (AM) (KOR)  81 77

160 - Daniel BRINGOLF * (AUS)  76 84, Andrew COOPER * (AUS)  77 83, A J MANDANI (USA)  79 81

161 - Ellar CHEN (TPE)  80 81

162 - HONG Ju-hyeong * (KOR)  82 80, HAN Jee-hoon (AM) (KOR)  78 84

164 - KIM Ki-hwan (KOR)  84 80

165 - HO Ka-lok (HK)  87 78

169 - JUNG Joon-ki (KOR)  87 82

172 - PARK Kyung-chan (KOR)  93 79, Franjo BLAZEVIC (AUS)  84 88

184 - Brenton BLANK (AUS)  94 90