Victory moves Kulacz up Asian Tour OOM
IN: News | Asian | Brunei Open (2008) | General | 27 Aug 2008
Australia’s Rick Kulacz is one of the exciting breed of newcomers on the Asian Tour this season after his maiden win at the Brunei Open on Sunday.
Kulacz, the 2001 Australian Junior champion, holed a solid bunker shot for birdie and defeated Chinese Taipei veteran Lu Wen-teh in the play-off to emerge as the first Australian winner on the Asian Tour this year.
“My uncle Terry died earlier this year and he’s always told me to believe in myself. I want to dedicate this to him and I felt that he was with me during the play-off,” said Kulacz, who earned a two-year exemption on the Asian Tour as a result of his success.
The 23-year-old Australian collected US$55,641 in total earnings this year and shot up to 51st place on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit. He also gains automatic entry into the HSBC Champions in November.
“This win takes the pressure off as I can pick and choose my events. It’s a huge weight off my career as I was well down the Order of Merit,” said the Perth-based Kulacz, who turned professional in 2007.
Kulacz is a proven winner as he enjoyed an illustrious amateur career. After having lifted the New South Wales Open title on home soil as an amateur in 2006, Kulacz was paired with Greg Norman in the third round at the Australian Open.
In 2007, he qualified for the US Amateur Championship and reached the quarter finals of the British Amateur. In the same year, he went on to win the Scratch Players Amateur in United States.
His proven track record helped defeat Chinese Taipei veteran Lu who had claimed his third top-10 finish this season at the Empire Hotel and Country Club.
“I hit a good bunker shot in the play-off but didn’t have the luck. Rick had the luck with him,” admitted Lu, who is placed 29th on the rankings with earnings of US$92,029.
Korean rookie Noh Seung-yul, who claimed three runner-up finishes this season, remained in 11th place on the Order of Merit after his tied 24th place finish in Brunei for total earnings of US$192,013.
South African Hendrik Buhrmann emerged as one of Asian Tour’s elite players to surpass the 200 mark when he competed in his 200th event at the Brunei Open.
The Asian Tour heads to Jakarta this week for the Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational with Main Sponsor Qatar Telecom where Filipino Juvic Pagunsan returns as defending champion.
Source – Asian Tour
