Thai pair eye strong finish
Thongchai Jaidee at last week’s BMW Masters in Shanghai. Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphibarnrat hope to end the European Tour season on a high note at the DP World Tour Championship which begins today.
The tournament is for the top-60 players in the Race to Dubai with Thongchai being No.8 and Kiradech 11th.
Both have been in fine form this year with Thongchai winning his seventh European Tour title at the European Open and Kiradech claiming two wins in China and Scotland.
Thongchai, 46, is in a confident mood after finishing joint third at last week’s BMW Masters in Shanghai which pushed him to a career-best No.28 in the world rankings.
“I am happy with my performance this year,’’ he said. “I am feeling good after shooting five-under in the pro-am [in Dubai]”
Thongchai’s best result was seventh in 2012 in his previous five appearances in the tournament.
He was tied for 31st last year.
After this week’s event, Thongchai will take a break before returning to action at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa from Dec 3-6 and the Thailand Golf Championship in the following week.
Kiradech, bidding for his fourth European Tour title, has struggled lately.
After finishing third at the Turkish Airlines Open, the first of four Final Series events, the 26-year-old was 30th at the BMW Masters and 31st at the WGCHSBC Champions.
Kiradech was tied for 29th at the 2013 DP World Tour Championship in his only previous experience in the tournament.
In the first round, Kiradech will play alongside BWM Masters champion Kristoffer Broberg of Sweden at 2.50pm.
Thongchai will tee off with South Korea’s An Byeong-Hun, who shared third place with the Thai at the BMW Masters, at 3.10pm.
In Japan, Prayad Marksaeng and Thanyakorn Khrongpha will compete at the Dunlop Phoenix.