PORNANONG’S CHANCE TO PREPARE FOR THE BIG ONE
Local season opener can help the Thai star polish her skills for LPGA event, writes Kittipong Thongsombat
This week’s Bangchak Thai LPGA Open 2016 at Panya Indra Golf Club is taking place at an apt time to help leading Thai star Pornanong Phatlum hone her skills before the big meet a week later. The second edition of the onemillion-baht tournament will be staged at Panya Indra Golf Club in Bangkok on Feb 17-19 and will serve as a curtain-raiser to the Thai LPGA Tour 2016.
A total of 78 players will participate in the tournament in which the lineup is spearheaded by world No.41 Pornanong, defending champion Punpaka Phutumabamrung, Japan LPGA Tour player Ornarin Sattayabanpot, last year’s Thai LPGA Tour money winner Supamas Saengchan and Wichanee Meechai.
“It is great to play at a tournament with lots of youngsters in the field,” said the 27-year-old Pornanong.
“They need this kind of tournaments to raise their standards before looking for more opportunities abroad.
“I thank all the supporters for helping stage this tournament and for their commitment to support ladies golf in the country.”
Bangchak’s vice-president Chokchai Atsawarangsalit said the company has continuously been supporting young people to take part in sports like football and golf.
He added that Bangchak has also been sponsoring leading players like Pornanong and Pannarat Thananapolboonyara, both of whom will be participating in the Honda LPGA Thailand 2016 a week later in Chonburi.
“We want these young ladies to improve and put the country on the world map,” he said.
The tournament will be played using a 54-hole stroke play format with the cut being made after 36 holes. Top 40 players will make it to the final round.
The winner will take home 142,500 baht.
A tournament official said that the par-72 course will be set to meet international standards and will have a tougher pin placement.
Meanwhile, LPGA tour commissioner Michael Whan, admiring the impact of the Honda LPGA Thailand events on the development of golf, has said: “Ten years ago, there were no Thais on the LPGA Tour and now they have many, including the ones from last year’s Q-school.”
The tournament will celebrate its 10th anniversary on Feb 25-28.
Since its establishment in 2006, the tournament has gained in popularity and has become one of the flagship events on the LPGA Tour calendar and, as Whan said, it has contributed a lot to the development of golf in the country.
Currently, Thailand have nine players on the LPGA Tour while the domestic ladies circuit is getting stronger and stronger.
This year’s edition of the LPGA tournament promises to live up to the fans’ expectations as a number of international stars have confirmed their participation in the event.
Former champions Park In-Bee, Suzanne Petersen, Tseng Yani, Anna Nordqvist, Kim Sei-Young and defending champion Amy Yang, are expected to pull big crowds to the venue.
There are other big names in the tournament as well, including Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, Lexi Thompson, Japanese stars Ai Miyazato and Shiho Oyama and South Korean aces Lee Bo-Mee of South Korea, and Chun In-Gee Chun.
The 27-year-old Park In-Bee won five titles last year, including three major events. Since turning pro in 2006, she has won 17 LPGA Tour titles, with seven of these victories coming at majors. She is likely to be inducted into the Hall of Fame later this year.
Kim Sei-Young, 23, won three titles in her first year on the tour and finished fourth on the money list and seventh in the world rankings. She crowned the 2015 Rookie of the Year.
Americans Wie, Creamer and Thompson and Miyazato of Japan have been the most popular players in the past editions and they still carry magnetic appeal for the Thai golf fans.
Lee Bo-Mee won seven titles in Japan last year and claimed the JLPGA Tour’s player of the year award.
Chun In-Gee will also be among the players to watch at the Siam Country Club Old Course in Pattaya. The 20-year-old South Korean won the US Women’s Open last year while making her debut at the tournament.
For the local players, there are seven hopefuls in the field with all eyes being on the promising stars of Budsabakorn Sukhapan and Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras. They both are expected to attract a large number of fans along with Ariya Jutanugarn and Pornanong.
The no-cut tournament, which features 70 players, will have an increased prize money purse of US$1.6 million, up $100,000 from last year. The special hole-in-one prize of Honda Accord is being offered on the par-3 16th hole.
Pitak Pruittisarikorn, Chief Operating Officer of Honda Automobile (Thailand), claims that this year’s field will be one of the best ever witnessed at the tournament in the past 10 years.