INTERVIEW-Golf-Noh targets rookie honours for debut PGA campaign

SAN DIEGO Jan 26 (Reuters) - Noh Seung-yul is wary of setting himself over-ambitious goals but the emerging South Korean has confidently targeted rookie of the year honours for his PGA Tour debut season.

Widely regarded as one of the best ball-strikers among the sport's younger generation, the 20-year-old has set an additional goal of qualifying for the lucrative FedExCup playoffs in the latter part of the U.S. season.

"Every rookie is trying for rookie of the year and that is a big dream of mine for this year," Noh told Reuters after shooting a three-under-par 69 in the Farmers Insurance Open first round on Thursday.

"After that, my second goal is to make the FedExCup playoffs and I would like to play in the third stage of that," he added, referring to the four-tournament season finale.

Noh, who at 18 became the youngest professional winner on the European Tour when he beat compatriot K.J. Choi by one stroke to claim the 2010 Malaysian Open, is continually learning from his peers.

"Before every tournament, I play practice rounds with K.J. or Y.E. (Yang Yong-eun)," he said. "Korean players work hard and practise hard and everybody is teaching and supporting everyone else to become better and better.

"We have good team work and there has been a lot of good advice for me."

Noh, who burst onto the Asian Tour as a 16-year-old in 2008 when he landed a maiden title in China during his first season before being voted rookie of the year, has never felt the burden of expectation.

"Even after I won the Malaysian Open, I never felt any extra pressure after that because I am still so young," he added.

"Every time I play, I am aiming to go higher and higher and higher, but not too high. My place (golfing status) is low at the moment compared to KJ, with his eight victories on the PGA Tour, and Y.E., with his major win. So I feel no pressure."

YANG MOTIVATION

Noh, who is coached by swing guru Butch Harmon, said Yang's remarkable victory in the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine National had been a huge source of motivation for him.

Yang became Asia's first male major winner after overhauling Tiger Woods in stunning fashion to triumph by three shots.

"So I am thinking I can do it too if Y.E. has won a major," Noh said.

"And I am so young, only 20-years-old, much younger than Y.E. and K.J. so I have more chances than them in the future. I got a lot of confidence when Y.E won that major."

Ranked 116th in the world, Noh is making his third successive appearance on the 2012 PGA Tour this week.

He finished 66th at the Sony Open in Hawaii and then missed the cut at last week's Humana Challenge despite opening with a 65.

"I qualified for the tour at Q-school and then had one month of practice before the start of the season," Noh said. "By the time I started in Hawaii, I wasn't consistent with my golf swing and with my short game.

"But I mainly played good today. On the front nine, I am scoring two over but I was driving the ball okay. Then I played well," he added, referring to his back nine five-under 31 on the North Course.

Noh plans to play in next week's Phoenix Open before returning to the European Tour for the Feb. 9-12 Dubai Desert Classic, and he fervently hopes fatigue will not become a negative factor.

"Here on the PGA Tour I am playing for four weeks straight so maybe I could lose body condition and that could be difficult," he said. "I need to be careful." (Editing by John O'Brien; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)