Hong Kong Golf This Week
The stars of the Asian Tour will tee off at this week’s UBS Hong Kong Golf Open with every intention of ending their season on a high note.
As the third last ranking event that counts towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit, the US$2.5 million showpiece at the Hong Kong Golf Club will be crucial to many players who are looking to elevate their position on the ranking.
With the Order of Merit crown now reduced to a two-man race between Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee and China’s Liang Wen-chong, attention will be turned towards the other contenders in the star-studded field that includes Asian Tour winners such as Thailand’s Chapchai Nirat, Australia’s Scott Hend and India’s Jyoti Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh.
Hong Kong Golf Victory will be worth US$416,660 for the winner and will have a huge bearing on the Order of Merit battle as the 2009 Asian Tour season heads towards an exciting finish. Two more events, the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open and King’s Cup in Thailand, will be played following the UBS Hong Kong Golf Open.
A three-time Asian Tour winner, Chapchai produced good early season form and wrote his name into the record books with a 32-under-par winning total in the SAIL Open in India earlier this season.
The burly Thai, nicknamed “King Kong” by his fellow pros, however struggled with his game in recent months but has since regained his form with a second place finish at the Iskandar Johor Open last month.
With the Asian Tour season drawing to a close, the 26-year-old will be eager to ride on his return to form and enjoy his early success again. (AsianTour.com)
