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Asia trio duck under Open cut mark

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The fates of Y.E. Yang, K.J. Choi of Korea and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand took a surprising twist when they narrowly made the halfway cut at the British Open on Friday.

Yang (70), Choi (74), and Thongchai (71) finished the second round earlier in the day and were a distance away from the cut-off mark before the Muirfield course bared its fangs.

The course, which was playing hard and fast, and the unpredictable windy conditions made life difficult for the elite players where many moved backwards on the leaderboard to give the three Asian Tour players spots in the weekend rounds. The halfway cut was set at 150.

Thongchai, a three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner, was delighted with his battling performance where he avoided the demanding bunkers.

“It is tough when you are in the bunkers but I didn’t find any today. I made a few bogeys from the fairways but it was still a good effort,” said Thongchai, who totalled eight-over-par 150.

Yang, Asia’s first major champion, who was in the first group to tee off at 6:32am, left his fate to the field when he returned with a 148.

“I could have played better. If I had to pinpoint one shot which I would like to reshoot it will be on the 11th yesterday when I ended up in the sand trap and needed five shots to get out,” said Yang.

Choi, who cut his professional teeth on the Asian Tour before going on to win eight PGA Tour titles, made a critical birdie on the 17th hole which sneaked him into the last two days.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News

News, Politics, Government

Three Thais make British Open history

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Three Thailand-born golfers will compete in next week’s British Open at Muirfield for the first time in the event’s history.

Thongchai Jaidee will be contesting golf’s oldest major for the sixth time, and a fifth in succession, and will be joined by Thaworn Wirachant, competing in his second British Open, and Kiradeck Aphibarnrat, who will be teeing up in a very first Major championship.

Thongchai made his Open debut at Muirfield when the championship was last staged there in 2002.

However, he was forced out with a back injury after an agonizing first round 80. Thaworn was a lone Thai-born contestant when he competed in his maiden Open at Royal Liverpool in 2006.

While Thongchai and Kiradeck qualified through the European Tour, Thaworn finished first by four strokes in an Asian International Qualifier in Bangkok last March.

So now with a country boasting some 200 courses, and around 400,000 annual overseas visitors to play golf, Thailand has three of their top players teeing up next Thursday on one of the oldest golf courses in the world.

“It is going to be a very special British Open this year for my country, Thailand,” said Thongchai at Castle Stuart where he is contesting the Scottish Open.

“It is amazing a small country like Thailand can have three players competing in the same Major Championship so I am sure we are going to have a lot of support.

“Also it will help each of us in terms of encouragement knowing that there are also two other Thailand golfers competing.”

Thongchai has captured 16 wins in his career, including last year’s Wales Open on the European Tour and is also a triple Asian Tour number one.

Thaworn holds an Asian Tour record of having won 15 tournaments in his career since 1996 and is a double Asian Tour number one having captured a second money list title last year.

The 23-year-old Kiradeck burst onto the international stage earlier this year in capturing the Malaysian Open title.

And if there is one piece of advice Thongchai can offer the big-hitting Kiradeck, whose average drive on the European Tour this year is 295.5 yards, and that is to put the brakes on his driver.

“Muirfield, like all the British Open courses, will be set up strategically so the key is to keep it on the fairways,” said Thongchai.

“It will be course where the driver is not important and it will be the long irons that you use continually.

“Also is very important not to miss the greens as you just can’t afford to short side yourself on any of them.

“I’ve had dinner a few times with Kiradeck and talked to him about what he will expect next week and he and I, and Thaworn, will play a couple of practice rounds together next week so that should help him.

“We are all staying in the same hotel and besides he’s a very good player, and I feel he can go very well next week.”

Thongchai’s best finish in a British Open was 13th in 2009 at Turnberry and after a season this …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox World News