Golf: Choo picked again

Golf: Choo picked again

Singapore's promising rookie pro Choo Tze Huang has been selected again for the Asia-Pacific team to defend the Dongfeng Nissan Cup next month.

Choo, No. 7 on the local Order of Merit, is honoured to be named in the 12-member star-studded team to face Team China at the CTS Tycoon Golf Club in Shenzhen from Dec 13 to 15.

He was in the team that beat China 14½-9½ to retain the title in the tournament which teed off in 2011.

Choo, who is in Sydney for the Emirates Australian Open this week which also features Adam Scott, Rory McIlroy and Jason Day, said: "I have been having a sweet-sour past few months, and this selection is great motivation for me to turn my game around.

"I was hitting the ball well at last week's Singapore Professional Golfers Association President's Cup event in which I finished a creditable fourth, two shots behind winner Mardan (Mamat). I hope to continue my good work at this week's Australia Open."

He is assured of US$20,000 ($24,000) appearance fee, which is a big boost.

The other players in the Asia-Pacific team are Australians Scott Laycock and Matthew Griffin, South Koreans Choi Ho Sung and Kim Dae Sub, Japanese Kazuhiro Yamashita and Masamichi Uehira, New Zealanders Michael Long and Gareth Paddison, Thai Thaworn Wiratchant, Indonesian Rory Hie and American Eric Mina.

Australian golfing legend Peter Thomson, a five-time winner of the British Open, will captain the Asia-Pacific team for the third time and has handpicked Laycock as his playing deputy.

HONOURED

Said Thomson, 84: "I am honoured to be involved in these matches and it still provides me a thrill. I expect Team China to be a more impoved side this time."

The team were chosen via a combination of Order of Merit ranking and nationality in order to make the squad as geographically representative as possible.

In the citation for 26-year-old Choo, organisers OneAsia said: "Choo is one of South-east Asia's most exciting prospects having won individual honours in the Putra Cup, achieving the feat of winning the individual and team honours in 2006.

"He started playing as a six-year-old and finished a golf scholarship at the University of Washington."


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