Thais seek breakthru in Phl Open

Manila, Philippines - A crack Thailand contingent, headed by Kiradech Aphibarnrat and Chinnarat Phadungsil, will be in the hunt for the ICTSI-Philippine Open crown, hopeful of its chances for a first-ever championship against local and other foreign aces in the $300,000 event firing off May 12 at Wack Wack.

The Thais have been the Filipinos’ perennial rivals in amateur play but have not figure well in the chase for the Phl Open title with Chawalit Plaphol losing steam after sharing the opening day lead and eventually finishing in joint 17th in 2008, also at Wack Wack’s east course.

Plaphol is back in the hunt next week, along with Aphibarnrat and Phadungsil, two of Thailand’s current young stars, and a host of other Thai players seeking to score a breakthrough win in Asia’s oldest and the country’s premier championship which is making its return to the Asian Tour.

Presented by long-time golf patron International Container Terminal Services, Inc. (ICTSI), the four-day championship serving as the seventh leg of this year’s Asian Tour is sponsored by San Miguel Corp., Globe Telecoms, Lexus and HSBC and backed by Srixon, Ricoh, Black Berry, Splash Corp., Inetol, Motorola, Lancaster Hotel and Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria and National Golf Association of the Phl.

Phadungsil stamped his mark as one of Asia’s rising stars when he claimed his third Asian Tour title in the Queen’s Cup in Thailand in 2009. He came close to winning his fourth Asian Tour title last year when he moved one stroke off the lead going into the final round of the Yeangder Tournament Players’ Championship, which was eventually reduced to 54 holes due to a typhoon in Taiwan.

 The 22-year-old Phadungshil burst onto the Asian Tour scene in style by emerging the youngest ever champion in the Double A International Open in Bangkok at 17. The 2005 world junior champion also earned his European Tour card in 2009 by finishing joint 12th in the qualifier despite an opening 78.

Aphibarnrat, on the other hand, is one of the most exciting young players to emerge from Thailand. He scored a career breakthrough win in the SAIL Open in India last February after a number of near-misses on the Asian Tour.

 Last year, Aphibarnrat, who turns 23 in July, enjoyed his best season by finishing 10th on the Order of Merit with four top 10s, including third place finishes at the Maybank Malaysian Open and Black Mountain Masters on home soil.

 After a strong amateur career where he won the World Junior Championship twice, Aphibarnrat stamped his class in the play-for-pay ranks. He almost secured his first win in 2009 at the Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters which he led in the final round only to settle for second after Rick Kulacz snatched the title with a closing 63.

 Other Thais in the fold are Udorn Duangdecha, Pariya Junhasavasdikul, Thaworn Wiratchant, Chapchai Nirat, Namchok Tantipokhakul, Kwanchai Tannin and the veteran Prayad Marksaeng.

 Angelo Que, who beat Malaysian ace Danny Chia to win the 2008 crown, heads the local challenge along with last year’s all-peso Phl Open winner Artemio Murakami and 2009 winner Elmer Salvador and Asian Tour regulars Juvic Pagunsan, Jay Bayron, Mars Pucay and Tony Lascuna.