Thaworn gets top player crown in Japan
Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant was crowned the Japan Senior Golf Tour’s top player of 2019 yesterday.
The 52-year-old won the money title after finishing tied for fifth at the ISPS Handa Cup Philanthropy Senior Tournament, the final event of the season.
With the result, Thaworn overtook compatriot Prayad Marksaeng on the money list.
Thaworn won ¥47,388,525 (approximately 13.12 million baht) in prize money this year, while Prayad received ¥46,978,478.
In his second season on the senior tour, Thaworn claimed two titles from 16 tournaments while Prayad also had two wins from 12 events.
Prayad could have won the money title for the fourth consecutive year had he played in this week’s senior tournament.
Instead, he chose to play at the Dunlop Phoenix Open on Japan’s main golf tour, which tees off today, as he tries to keep his card for next season.
Thaworn said he was very happy to be crowned the No.1 player on Japan’s senior circuit.
He thanked his friend Prayad for his help during his early days on the senior tour. “The tour is very competitive and I needed time to adapt myself to everything here. Prayad has made it easier for me to stay and play here,” he said.
HONG KONG OPEN POSTPONED The Hong Kong Open has been postponed after violence from anti-government protests escalated this week, the Asian Tour and European Tour said yesterday.
The 60th anniversary edition of the tournament had been scheduled to be played from Nov 28-Dec 1.
“An attempt will be made to reschedule the tournament to early 2020,” the European Tour and its co-sanctioning partner at the Asian Tour said in a joint statement.
“The decision has been taken due to the ongoing level of social unrest in Hong Kong,” European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley said.
“As the safety of our players, staff, stakeholders and everyone involved in each and every one of our tournaments around the world is our top priority, we feel this is the correct, but unfortunate, course of action.”
Asian Tour CEO Cho Minn Thant said they were “optimistic” of organising the event when the situation in Hong Kong stabilises.
Pelley said earlier this month that the US$1.5 million tournament would not be affected as the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling was far from the city centre where most of the clashes between protesters and the police took place.