Veteran Prayad gears up for Senior Tour
Veteran Prayad Marksaeng will be ready for a hectic itinerary and more challenges when he joins the Japan Senior Tour next year.
The 50-year-old, who this year won his fifth Japan Tour title at the Fukushima Open, is going to play on both Japan Tour and Japan Senior Tour in the coming season.
Prayad is eligible to play on the senior circuit as a Japanese PGA member who has won at least two tournaments on the Japan Tour. He will play alongside compatriot Boonchu Ruangkit, who finished 13th on the Senior Tour last year.
For the regular Japan Tour, Prayad was awarded an exemption to play for another two years thanks to his victory earlier this year.
Earlier, Prayad had said he would want to qualify for the Champions Tour but later changed his mind.
“We want him to be ready for the tough challenge ahead by preparing himself for the Japan Senior Tour,” said Prayad’s manager Pimporn Rojsattarat from SMG. “He needs a bit of time to adapt himself during the transitional phase.
“Next year, we will try to qualify for the Champions tour.
Prayad, who yesterday returned from the Senior Tour seminar in Japan, will be tested not only physically but mentally as well.
At a minimum, Prayad must play 16 events on the regular Japan Tour and another eight tournaments on the Japan Senior Tour. Apart from these, the Hua Hin native has already committed himself to playing at least another eight on the Asian Tour, where he has won nine times.
Prayad recently confirmed to join the Asian team in their battle against the mighty Europeans in the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia next month.
This year, Prayad finished 20th on the Japan Tour money list and is 10th on the Asian Tour with one tournament remaining.
Apart from Prayad, there will be four more Thais on the Japan Tour next year. They are Thanyakorn Khrongpha, Chinnarat Phadungsil, Chapchai Nirat and Piya Swangarunporn.
Thanyakorn kept his card for being ranked 39th on the money list, thanks largely to his second-place finish at the Taiheyo Masters and joint seventh place at Donlop Phoenix. Chinnarat, Chapchai and Piya have joined through the Tour’s Qualifying School.
Namchok Tantiphokakul finished 92nd on the money list and lost his Tour card.