Thongchai going for Volvo Masters double delight

The Thai is looking to successfully defend the title he won in a nervy finish last year and continue a fantastic streak of having won a tournament every year since 2000.

Thongchai has not produced his best golf this year but enters the US$750,000 Volvo Masters of Asia at Thai Country Club in buoyant mood after an encouraging couple of weeks.

He has been striking the ball brilliantly with his new irons and has rediscovered his form on the greens.

“I’ve got a new set of Callaway irons, same ones as Phil Mickelson used (during his two-tournament swing in Asia). This new set gives the ball more flight and ball control so it is great, I love them,” said the eight-time winner on the Asian Tour.

Thongchai was joint runner up in the UBS Hong Kong Open, a brilliant run of six birdies in the last seven holes propelling him up the leaderboard, and carried over his good form to last week’s Omega Mission Hills World Cup at Mission Hills Golf Club in China where he partnered Prayad Marksaeng to joint 15th place in the elite 28-team field.

The duo shot a pair of 63s in the fourballs but came unstuck in the trickier alternate shot foursomes with rounds of 76 and 73.

“My game has been getting better and better in the last couple of weeks,” said Thongchai, whose tied second finish in Hong Kong moved him to seventh place in the Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit.

“My putting is a lot better than it has been for many months and my irons and driver are working perfectly,” he said.

Thongchai survived a double bogey at the final hole to beat Frankie Minoza of the Philippines by a shot in last year’s Volvo Masters of Asia. That kept his winning run going and after a barren year the tournament from December 6-9 represents his last chance to extend the record.

“The Volvo Masters of Asia is a very important tournament for me – I will try to keep my winning run going,” said Thongchai, who pocketed US$104,000 for last year’s triumph.

“But I will not be putting any added pressure on myself. If I win, great, but if I do not win it is not a big problem. I will just have to try harder next year.”

Thongchai spent a large part of this season competing on the European Tour and he is relishing the opportunity to parade his talent in front of his home fans.

“I love playing in Thailand and I expect a lot of Thai fans to come to the Volvo Masters of Asia,” said Thongchai, who finished his European campaign in 59th place on the Order of Merit.

“It is the last event on the Asian Tour and if there are big galleries it will help me and the other Thai players. I would like to play well for the fans. I will try my best.”

Thongchai said that putting was key at the well-manicured Thai Country Club.

“Last year my putter was working well at the Volvo Masters of Asia but I lost the feel and struggled on the greens for seven months,” he said. “Right now my feeling is coming back a little bit, although not 100 per cent. I have been practicing a lot to get back my feeling.

“If I putt well next week I am confident I can win again. Putting is important at Thai Country Club - the greens are sloping and tricky. You have to know where to land the ball to give yourself a chance of birdie.”

The top-60 eligible players on the UBS Order of Merit after the Cambodian Open will tee it up in the Volvo Masters of Asia which is being staged at Thai Country Club for the third year.

November 30, 2007

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