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Thaworn marks 200th appearence with 150th cut

Thai star Thaworn Wiratchant celebrated his 200th appearance at the Volvo China Open by making his career 150th cut on Friday.

The reigning Asian Tour number one carded a one-under-par 71 at the Beijing Honghua International Golf Club and with a two-day total of 143, he must produce some low rounds at the weekend to challenge the leaders.

However, he is leading the race for the most number of appearances in Asia alongside American Greg Hanrahan and the Thai said his next target would be to hit 500 tournaments.

"I'm looking forward now to complete 500 tournaments. I'll try as 200 is not enough yet," smiled the 39-year-old Thaworn today.

In recognition of his success and contribution to golf in the region, Asian Tour Chief Executive Louis Martin presented a plaque to Thaworn after his round today to mark the fantastic achievement.

With the Asian Tour growing rapidly in recent times, where tournaments and prize money have nearly doubled over the last few years, Thaworn said that the Tour has helped him sustain his career.

This includes eight victories, the most by a player in Asia, more than US$1 million in prize money and a maiden Order of Merit crown last year.

"The Asian Tour is getting stronger and it helps me get stronger as well. If the Asian Tour did not exist, I wouldn't know where I would be. My form has improved with each passing year since the start and I'm proud that I can still perform well every year," said Thaworn.

He is known as the "ironman" amongst his peers, not just for his superb short game but also for his staying power. Last year, Thaworn played non-stop golf from September till December in his quest to become the Asian Tour number one.

Thaworn, currently 11th on the UBS Order of Merit, said last year's magical run which saw him win four times and become the first player to win over US$500,000 in a season was tremendous.

"Because I'm performing well, it feels fun. That helps me play so many events in a row. If I don't play well, my brain will be very weak as I'll be thinking too much and getting tired mentally. If I play well, I would like to continue playing as long as I can.

"The happiest moment for me is not about winning. It's the fact that I have paid close attention to every event. It's not just about winning. At every event, I will try my best, try my hardest. Even if I have played badly, I would still play as hard as I could," said Thaworn.

April 14, 2006