Noh Seung-yul celebrated his historic ascension as the new Asian Tour number one unlike any other teenager – he rewarded himself with a sports car.
The Korean became Asia’s youngest ever Order of Merit champion at the age of 19 years and 204 days in 2010 after driving his way to one victory and four other top-10s during a sparkling season which also saw him post two impressive performances at the Majors.
It culminated an amazing rise to the top for Noh, who made his entry onto the Asian Tour after earning his card from Qualifying School in 2008 as a bright-eyed 16-year-old. He later went on to win a maiden professional title the same year and claim the Rookie of the Year award.
While many have predicted greatness for the teen titan, who grew up hitting golf balls by the beach near his home in Seoul, he is in no rush to fulfill his lifelong goal, which is to win a Major championship.
“To become the youngest Asian Tour number one, it’s very nice,” said the soft-spoken Korean, who was also selected by his fellow professionals as the Players’ Player of the Year for 2010.
“But in the future, there may be other younger players who will become younger than me at 19 years old to win the Order of Merit.
“In five years time, I want to start contending in the Majors. I am not in a hurry but I would like to become the second Asian to win a Major. The Order of Merit victory will get me into the British Open next year and if I stay in the top-100 in the world, I will also qualify for the PGA Championship and I will try to qualify for the US Open as well.”
Noh believes the high level of competition on the elite Asian Tour helped him sharpen his professional teeth where impressive displays earned him praise from his peers and the likes of Greg Norman and Padraig Harrington.
“Playing on the Asian Tour helped me a lot as we play in different countries and different courses. I had to adapt to the changes in grass, food and travelling which I think is important for a golfer. If I stayed in Korea, we would have played the same type of courses and eating the same food,” said Noh.
“I was happy to win the Maybank Malaysian Open as it allowed me to compete in Europe, United States and the three Majors. Everything started from my win in Malaysia. And when I traveled to Europe, I was comfortable with the travelling.”
Noh’s vision, where he underwent corrective laser eye surgery last week, is crystal clear that his goal in 2011 is to win on European soil and break into the world’s top-30. Then he hopes to break into the US PGA Tour.
“Next year, I want to focus on trying to win in Europe. I would also like to play on the US Tour as I think all the top players want to play there,” he said. “I am grateful for what the Asian Tour has done for my career.”
Thai star Thongchai Jaidee, a three-time Order of Merit champion, saluted Noh for his achievements. “I wasn’t anything as good as him when I was 19. It’s great for the Asian Tour that he’s coming up,” said Thongchai.
“Noh has a very good golf swing. He has good temperament and he practices hard. Before his rounds, I always see him practising two hours at the range.”
Jeev Milkha Singh of India, a two-time Asian Tour number one, believes Noh will become a top-10 player in the world in the near future. “I've played a lot of golf with that young boy and I think he's got a lot of talent, he's a superstar in the making,” said Singh.
Norman, Australia’s greatest ever player, said of Noh: ““He’s an impressive young player. He’s got a big future.”
Asian Tour Executive Chairman Kyi Hla Han, himself a former Asian number one, was delighted with Noh’s terrific rise and predicted great things for the Korean.
“Since bursting onto the Asian Tour in 2008 through our Qualifying School, Noh showed that he truly has a special talent that we all get to witness once in a very long time. We are proud to welcome him as our newest number one and believe he will represent the Asian Tour proudly next year,” said Han.
In just three years, Noh has earned over US$1.3 million on the Asian Tour to be ranked in the top-20 of the career earnings list. He is also the youngest player to surpass the million dollar mark in Asia.
While his parents still have a big say on how he spend his winnings, it didn’t take much convincing from Noh to eventually buy what he had always wanted as a boy – a sports car.
“I just got my driver’s licence a few months ago, so I bought myself a BMW sports convertible which is very nice,” he smiled.
