Ploychompoo eyes China event repeat
ZHANGJIAGANG ISLAND: Thailand’s Ploychompoo Wirairungrueng is feeling confident ahead of attempting to win backto-back Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Challenge titles this week.
The t ournament at Zhangjiagang Shuangshan Golf Club in Jiangsu province starts today.
With the conditions on the course soft after heavy rain over the past few days, Ploychompoo is hoping to rekindle happy memories of the tournament after she won last year’s inaugural event with a birdie on the final hole for a one-stroke triumph.
“That was my first pro title and I felt more confident after the win. I took a lot of positives from this tournament,” the 22-year-old Chiang Rai native said yesterday following the pro-am played under sunny conditions.
“There’s more pressure to win now and I put pressure on myself expecting to win. But the challenge here is off the tee. If you don’t put yourself on the fairways, it’s difficult to get to the greens. If I can control my shots and my mind, I will have a good chance this week.”
After a spectacular final-round collapse in Guangdong last month, another player looking to control her mental game this week is Yang Taoli.
The Chinese veteran led or had a share of the lead through two rounds of the Zhuhai Hengqin Phoenix Tree Building Challenge until an 81 in the final round proved her undoing and she finished equal ninth, six strokes behind winner Zhang Weiwei.
“The Zhuhai leg is in the books now,” said the Sichuan native who returned to professional golf last year after taking three years off to get married and have a child.
“Now I am more balanced. I just walked out of the shadows after several days. I had forgotten those things that happened to me last month. I believe that I could be great this week.”
After playing the first two rounds with Ploychompoo during last year’s tournament, Yang, the 2009 China LPGA Tour Order of Merit winner, had nothing but compliments for the strong play of the young Thai.