Pannakorn sets sights on successful title defence at Taifong Open

Changhwa, Chinese Taipei, August 15: Thailand’s Pannakorn Uthaipas will be looking to shake off his injury woes as he bids for a successful title defence at the popular Taifong Open, which gets underway on Thursday.

Pannakorn, the reigning Asian Development Tour (ADT) Order of Merit champion, was forced to withdraw from the Asian Tour’s Royal Cup on home soil last month due to a hip injury but has since recovered after undergoing treatment that week.

The 28-year-old Pannakorn will headline the US$160,000 ADT event alongside countryman Pavit Tangkamolprasert, a record six-time winner on the region’s secondary circuit, as well as Japan’s Shohei Hasegawa, the highest-ranked player in third place on the Order of Merit.

A host of ADT winners, including American Josh Salah, Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij and Japan’s Kazuki Higa, placed fifth, seventh and eighth respectively on the money list, will also be vying for honours at the highly-rated Taifong Golf Course.   

“I tried to change my swing before the Royal Cup. I practiced a lot and I hurt my hip the weekend before the Royal Cup. At first, I thought it was just a muscle ache but then it turned out to be more serious so I had to withdraw from the tournament. I had to go to the hospital for six days that week to get treatment but I have fully recovered now,” said Pannakorn.

Pannakorn became the second Thai after Pavit to lift the ADT Order of Merit crown last year, thanks largely to his victory at the Taifong Open, which hails as the richest tournament on the ADT schedule since its inception in 2014.

The amiable Thai, however, has struggled to replicate his success since making his ascent onto the region’s premier Tour this season. Despite missing just four cuts in 11 starts, Pannakorn’s best finish was only a tied-38th place at both the Asia-Pacific Classic and the Thailand Open.

After recovering from his hip injury, Pannakorn went on to cap a top-10 finish on his local circuit two weeks ago. He hopes to draw motivation from that result to launch a successful title defence this week.

 “That was my first win on the ADT and first professional win outside of Thailand so this event is very special for me.  I feel very good coming back here because I have a lot of good memories. I just hope to do my best as I have been playing well leading up to this event,” added Pannakorn, who won the Taifong Open, just three days before his 27th birthday.

American rookie Sam Gillis, who missed out on a breakthrough win in Sabah last week, hopes to redeem himself by going one better for a maiden win, which will boost his rankings on the Order of Merit, where he currently sits in 10th position.

“The first half of my season wasn’t that great because I was struggling with the transition, but it was still a good learning experience. Starting the second half of the season, I think I’ve improved a lot and I’m starting to play true to my potential.

“I just found something in my game and I just kept the momentum going. I’ll just have to be really careful off the tee on this course. I hope to get some good rounds going,” said Gillis, who marked his best result on the ADT this season with a runner-up finish last week.

ADT graduate Wang Wei-lun will be banking on his home advantage when he chases for a second ADT title at the event, where he had lost to American Johannes Veerman in a play-off two years ago.  

“This season on the Asian Tour hasn’t been that great for me. I have been struggling to perform and I have not figured out what is wrong yet. I know it’s all mental because I do well in practices but I struggle in the actual rounds,” said Wang, who made only four cuts in 10 starts on the Asian Tour this season.

“I feel comfortable coming back to a course that I know I can play well on and it’s good to see familiar faces here. I just want to give it my best this week. I don’t have any expectations for myself because I know I still have a lot to improve so I will take it easy this week.” said Wang, who turns 25 in three days’ time.

The leading seven players on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the premier Asian Tour for the 2019 season. Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points are offered for all ADT events. The winner will earn a total of six OWGR points while the top-six players and ties earn points on a sliding scale.

About Asian Development Tour

The Asian Development Tour was launched in 2010 with the aim of creating a career pathway for professional golfers in Asia. Sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the Asian Development Tour will ultimately create a new playing platform for emerging stars from across Asia and around the world. Through the Asian Tour Qualifying School, players will qualify for the Asian Development Tour and enjoy the opportunity to hone their games and talent through a secondary circuit in Asia. Designed in the same structure as the Web.com Tour in America and European Challenge Tour, the Asian Development Tour is a stepping stone to the Asian Tour and the exciting world of international golf. The Asian Development Tour has been structured to ensure the best opportunities for its members. The leading seven players on the Asian Development Tour will earn coveted Asian Tour cards for the following season, ensuring a proper career pathway for aspiring professionals. All ADT events receive Official World Golf Ranking points.