Intriguing battles ahead in Bangkok Airways Open

Thai stars Thaworn Wiratchant and Thongchai Jaidee will renew their battle for the Asian Tour Order of Merit supremacy on home soil at the Bangkok Airways Open this week.

The leading duo headline the US$200,000 event starting on Thursday at the challenging Santiburi Samui Country Club on Samui resort island, along with several other local stars and this season's Asian Tour winners.

Thaworn, who failed to earn a World Cup ticket by one stroke with compatriot Prayad Marksaeng in Malaysia last weekend, currently leads the race to become Asia's number one by over US$50,000 from Thongchai, last year's top-ranked player.

The 38-year-old Thaworn has already pocketed US$397,759 which is already a new record for earnings in a single season. He won the Standard Chartered Indonesia Open in March and Taiwan Open last month.

The Bangkok Airways Open, which is making its debut on the Asian Tour after being a Thai Tour event last year, will also see Thongchai back in the fray after his last appearance in Asia, which was a third place outing in the Singapore Open early last month.

Former paratrooper Thongchai will have to battle jetlag as he played in the World Golf Championships American Express Championship in San Francisco, finishing 60th, which concluded on Sunday. But after taking more than 20 hours to reach Samui this afternoon, Thongchai showed his intentions of doing well by heading straight out for a practice round.

"I've never been to Samui, so I want to have a look at the golf course. Last week, I played okay but didn't score well. It was a long trip to come home," said Thongchai.

While the top-two players continue their Order of Merit battle, it will also be a fight for survival for those who are looking to finish inside the top-60 of the money list which will guarantee them full playing privileges for the 2006 season.

Singapore's Lam Chih Bing is amongst the hopefuls and he is hoping to ride on last week's good form where he partnered Mardan Mamat to finish joint winners with Chinese Taipei and earn places in the Algarve World Cup in Portugal.

Lam is presently ranked a lowly 149th on the Order of Merit and realises he must produce some strong performances over the next few weeks if he hopes to earn his full card for the 2006 season.

"It's back to the grind," said the big-hitting Lam. "Hopefully, last week's success will rub off onto my game here. I've had some good finishes in the regional local circuits but it's been a struggle on the Asian Tour.

"Everybody wants to finish inside the top-60 and there are only several more events for us to do it. I'll probably need to win one event or record a couple of second place finishes. That's the goal," said Lam.

Thailand's overseas stars, Chawalit Plaphol and Thammanoon Srirot, who both play their golf on the Asian Tour as well as in Japan, are also back looking for glory at the Bangkok Airways Open, which is the 21st leg of this season's Asian Tour.

October 11, 2005

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