Nicholas aims to qualify for CIMB Classic under Asian Tour banner

PETALING JAYA: Nicholas Fung will have two shots at qualifying for next month’s US$7mil (RM29.35mil) CIMB Classic on merit.

The 27-year-old has two tournaments – starting with this week’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters and next week’s Yeangder Tournament Players Championship – to sneak into the top 10 of the Asian Tour Order of Merit by the Oct 9 cut-off date.

The 10 leading money leaders will earn spots in the 78-man field US PGA Tour and Asian Tour sanctioned event at TPC Kuala Lumpur from Oct 12-15.

Nicholas is 22nd in the Order of Merit with US$124,737 (RM523,000). He trails 10th-placed Richard T. Lee of Canada ( US$ 207,557) by US$82,820 (RM347,300).

Actually, Nicholas is as good as set to make his third appearance in the CIMB Classic by virtue of being the second highest-ranked Malaysian on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR).

National No. 1 Gavin Kyle Green is the highest-ranked Malaysian in the OWGR but has already qualified under the Asian Tour, where he is ranked third in the Order of Merit.

Danny Chia was the first to qualify after winning the CIMB National Championship in July.

But Nicholas prefers to join Gavin and qualify under the Asian Tour banner.

“Although I’ll most likely get in through the OWGR, I’m still going to try and qualify the Asian Tour Order of Merit,” said Nicholas, who featured in the CIMB Classic in 2013 and 2014.

“It’s difficult because I need two massive results in Taiwan, but who knows?

“It’s going to be very rewarding if I can do it because then my earnings from the CIMB Classic will be counted for the Order of Merit.”

Nicholas has yet to impress since lifting the Queen’s Cup in Thailand for his maiden Tour victory in June. He missed the cut in his last two starts – European Masters in Switzerland last month and last week’s Asia Pacific Diamond Cup in Japan.

But the world No. 301 will be encouraged by his good track record in the Taiwan Masters and Yeangder TPC. Last year, he finished eighth in the Taiwan Masters and joint third in the Yeangder TPC.

Gavin, Danny, the Taiwan Masters champion in 2015, and Ben Leong will also be competing this week.