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Order of Merit down to a two-horse race
 The race for the prestigious Asian Tour’s Order of Merit crown is now down to a two-horse race between Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand and Liang Wen-chong of China.
Liang emerged as the only remaining contender after finishing second in the Barclays Singapore Open on Sunday, where his earnings of US$555,550 bumped up his season’s haul to US$740,544 while Thongchai took his tally to US$937,658 after finishing tied 14th which was worth US$67,785.
With three counting events remaining on the Asian Tour, third-ranked Anthony Kang of the United States fell out of contention as he trails Thongchai by approximately US$537,394 while Liang is US$197,114 behind the leader who is chasing an unprecedented third Merit crown.
“I don’t know who will win the Order of Merit. I’m just focusing on myself. If I play bad and someone else wins the tournament I’m okay. I’ll keep trying my best,” said Thongchai, who won the Order of Merit title in 2001 and 2004.
The Thai star credited Liang for his fine finish where he chased winner Ian Poulter of England right down the finish line at Sentosa Golf Club.
“Liang has become a strong player. This was a tough week. We had early starts every day and played many holes as well (due to the weather delays). You cannot anticipate the weather here. It was very tiring. You play so many holes and then you cannot get into any momentum,” said Thongchai.
Liang, China’s first Asian Tour number one when he won the Merit crown in 2007, is optimistic of his chances of pipping Thongchai to the coveted title. However, he will need to finish no lower than second place in the UBS Hong Kong Open next week to keep his hopes alive.
“The Order of Merit race will now move to the UBS Hong Kong Open which is our last big event (followed by the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open and King’s Cup in Thailand). I’ll try to push Thongchai all the way down the wire to try and win the Order of Merit title again. I’ll look at my schedule to ensure I give myself a chance,” said Liang, who has two runner-up finishes this season.
“Overall, I’m satisfied and pleased with how I played all week and being in contention. It was good that I maintained my form the entire week. I will try to maintain my form for the rest of the year,” added Liang.
Scott Hend of Australia was the biggest mover when he leaped 44 places up to fourth position on the Order of Merit. His tied third finish in Singapore earned him US$281,500 which gave him a total of US$354,391 this season.
India’s Jyoti Randhawa dropped one spot to fifth position with earnings of US$318,350 while compatriot Gaganjeet Bhullar is sixth on US$308,916.
The WGC-HSBC Champions, headlined by world number one Tiger Woods, will be played in Shanghai this week before the Asian Tour heads to Hong Kong next week for the US$2.5 million UBS Hong Kong Open which is co-sanctioned with the European Tour.
Asian Tour Order of Merit – Top 20 - Click here for full list
Pos. Player Country Winnings (US$)
1. Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 937,658
2. LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 740,544
3. Anthony KANG (USA) 400,264
4. Scott HEND (AUS) 354,391
5. Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 318,350
6. Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 308,916
7. Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 256,605
8. Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 243,609
9. C. MUNIYAPPA (IND) 219,849
10. Marcus BOTH (AUS) 215,882
11. Kodai ICHIHARA (JPN) 196,995
12. Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 195,578
13. Andrew DODT (AUS) 185,950
14. Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 185,774
15. LIN Wen-tang (TPE) 182,355
16. BAE Sang-moon (KOR) 175,507
17. Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 173,065
18. Ted OH (KOR) 167,507
19. Adam BLYTH (AUS) 165,022
20. NOH Seung-yul (KOR) 159,292
November 2, 2009
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