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In form Heidi has high hopes for Macau

The Philippines’ Heidi Chua hopes to take advantage of her form and the course layout to end her title drought since turning professional two years ago.

The 29-year-old from Manila believes her game is ripe and looking for a maiden win at the US$80,000 Macau LAGT Championship that tees off tomorrow at the scenic Macau Golf and Country Club.

“It’s like playing a game of yoyo in this course. The fairways here are undulating - ascends and descends – steeply at some holes, and the course is short. I’m not a long hitter and I reckon that this course is like a shoe that fits me,” said Heidi, an extrovert character with full of humour.

To relieve herself of any kind of competition pressure and tension, Heidi, joined by a host of other women golf professionals teeing of tomorrow, took part in sky walking and sky jumping activities hosted by Macau Tower Convention and Entertainment Centre.at the Macau Tower yesterday.

“It was a good experience jumping off the highest sky jump in the world. I feel a lot brave now and want to get into serious business in the Macau LAGT Championship. Every tournament is a piece of the puzzle that builds to an exciting challenge,” said Heidi.

However, Heidi’s dream of winning the title at the Macau LAGT Championship could be spoilt by Korea’s Kim Hae-jung, the winner of Orient Golf Zhuhai Open last week. Hae-jung has been very consistent having finished runner-up in Thailand a month ago and a 25th position in Malaysia, three weekends ago.

“I’m not prepared to give you a figure as to how I will finish. But I’m happy with the way I’m progressing and hope that this will carry me through, unless I am completely out of form,” said Hae-jung at a cocktail party hosted by the Ladies Asian Golf Tour.

The Macau LAGT Championship also signals an exciting race to the finish for the LAGT Order of Merit award that entitles the winner to a main draw of the US$350,000 Korean Women’s Open in May.

Thailand’s Russamee Gulyanamitta heads the standings going into the final tournament tomorrow with earnings of US$22,060 with Thailand Ladies Open winner Park Hee-young (US$19,200) in second place. However, Hee-young is absent from the Macau challenge. This gives four other women – Kim Hae-jung (US$18,820) and Ji Eun-hee (US$16,845) of Korea, China Zhong Xiaolong (US$13,903) and Thailand’s Poranee Chutichai (US$10,812) – a chance to displace Russamee provided the latter fails to make the cut in Macau or finishes low in placing. The winner in Macau will pocket US$12,000.

Hae-jung, going by her performance looks the likely candidate other than Russamme to have the best chance to win the LAGT-OOM.

March 21, 2006