Proud Thongchai hopes to unearth more talents at the season-ending Thailand Masters

Pattaya, Thailand, December 17: Thai legend Thongchai Jaidee is hopeful of welcoming more golfing talents from the Kingdom when the season-ending Thailand Masters draws the 2019 Asian Tour season to a close this week.

The US$500,000 event is promoted by the Jaidee Foundation which Thongchai, oversees and gets underway at the Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club on Thursday.

While feeling proud of how the next generation of Thai golfers have put the country on the world map, the three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit champion is also aiming to help under-privileged golfers in his hometown of Lopburi and pave the way for aspiring talents to follow in his footsteps.

Although he is not playing in the Thailand Masters this week, the 50-year-old , who earned his full exempt status on the PGA TOUR Champions for next year, is still a star attraction with fans, players and sponsors.

Malaysia’s Gavin Green, who is playing in his last event for the year, is delighted to have his younger brother, Galven with him in the field this week.

The 2017 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion is also using the Thailand Masters to reassess his game as he hopes to mount a strong start when the new season gets underway next year.

Belgium’s Nicolas Colsaerts returns to Thailand after three years and is ready to enjoy the year-end festive vibes in the company of close friends which include Thongchai.

Colsaerts returned to his winning ways when he ended his seven-year title drought with his win in France in October.

Did you know?

• Thongchai earned full exempt status on the PGA TOUR Champions after finishing second at the Qualifying Tournament final stage in December.
• Thongchai holds an unprecedented three Asian Tour Order of Merit crowns and has hosted three successful editions of the Thongchai Jaidee Foundation tournaments on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) along with the Foundation’s inaugural collaboration with the Queen’s Cup in 2018.
• Using his legendary status and tournament golf as a vehicle, Thongchai hopes to draw attention to his foundation which was launched in 2009 through his promotion of the Thailand Masters.
• Thongchai’s foundation’s aim is to help under-privileged golfers in his hometown of Lopburi as well as pave the way for aspiring talents to follow in his footsteps.
• Gavin Green is the first Malaysian to win the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 2017.
• The Malaysian has posted three top-10s in Europe this season.
• He was pipped to his fourth win on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) by Thailand’s Nirun Sae-ueng on the first play-off hole at the PGM Maybank ADT Championship last month.
• Nicolas Colsaerts ended a seven-year title drought when he won the the Amundi Open de France on the European Tour in October.
• Colsaerts’ victory in France was a welcome return to the form he displayed when he became the first Belgian golfer in history to play in The Ryder Cup in 2012. He was instrumental in the European team’s 14½ – 13½ victory over the United States that year and in what has been dubbed “The Miracle at Medinah”.