Chapchai wants masterly performance in Vietnam

Thai hotshot Chapchai Nirat is hoping that a win at this week’s $500,000 Hana Bank Vietnam Masters will bring him closer to his target of finishing as one of Asia’s top-three golfers.

Chapchai, winner of the TCL Classic in China, will need to pull off nothing less than a victory at the Hanoi Phoenix Golf Resort to stand a chance of denying current leader Liang Wen-chong of China the Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit crown.

Chapchai has been chasing down the Chinese star thanks to his steady performance all season long. While he is hoping to pip Liang to the coveted UBS Order of Merit crown, he is setting a more realistic target of finishing within the top-three.

“I’ll be very happy if I don’t miss the cut this week. Once I make the cut for this tournament, I’ll go all out for a win this weekend. But having said that, I’ll be happy if I can end the year with a top-three place,” said Chapchai.

Besides Chapchai, the only other contender who has a mathematical chance of overtaking Liang is Simon Yates of Scotland. Yates currently trails Liang by a little over US$179,000 and would have a chance to close in on Liang too as the top prize of US$79,250 awaits the champion this week.

The Scotsman has enjoyed a very consistent season so far, finishing as high as 13th at the recent HSBC Champions. However, he is not letting the pressure of finishing tops get to him.

“I’m not really thinking of number one now. If I was thinking of it, I’ll be thinking about top three because by finishing top-three, you’ll get the chance to play at two World GOLF Championships events,” said Yates who is looking at a top-five finish this week and either a first or second place at the season-ending Volvo Masters of Asia to secure a top-three finish by the end of the year.

The 38-year-old Yates who is playing in Vietnam for the first time also believes that a change of putter may also prove decisive for his title challenge this week.

“My putting has not been really up to scratch these last two months. I’ve changed my putter so hopefully, my putting is going to be a lot better,” said Yates.

The Hana Bank Vietnam Masters is the third from last ranking event on this season’s Asian Tour Schedule and will shape the race for the prestigious Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit.

Other star players who will headline the event include Korea’s Charlie Wi, Ireland’s Paul McGinley and England’s David Howell.

November 22, 2007

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