May 09, 2018: Only two Asians, Korea’s KJ Choi, the 2011 winner, and compatriot Si Woo Kim, the defending champion, have won the Players Championship. Both in the field this week at the PGA Tour event held at TPC Sawgrass, their form suggests they could again make a run for it against one of the strongest fields ever assembled in the history of this event.
Also in the field this week is India’s Anirban Lahiri and Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat. They have come into this week’s US$11,000,000 event in contrasting form.
While Lahiri, ranked exactly No. 100, is trying to stay inside the World’s Top-100 while playing the PGA Tour courtesy his full playing rights, Kiradech, ranked 32 in the world, is trying to get similar rights.
Lahiri has made six cuts in nine starts but has not finished inside top-25 this year, while Kiradech is close to his career-best ranking of No. 29 achieved last month and he has been tied-5th in both the WGC events he has played this year. He has also had a win on the European Tour this year. In short, he is playing at his best and close to getting into the PGA Tour.
“All I need is a good round to get my confidence back, especially on the putting green,” said Lahiri, who has not won on any Tour since his last win in February 2015 in the Hero Indian Open.
“I feel a lot of departments are working but my scoring hasn’t been as good as I would like it to be. That’s where I’m going to be focusing on my work over the next two days, here, in and around the greens and working on getting the speed right on the greens and making sure I’m comfortable with some of the shots that you get around here,” added Lahiri, who will tee off with Korean, An Byeong-Hun, and Frenchman Alexander Levy.
Thai star Kiradech, who had to play with a brand new driver at the Masters after breaking it on Tuesday, has brought his swing coach Pete Cowen this week. Cowen believes the big-hitting Thai will do well on the PGA Tour, when he eventually earns his playing rights in the United States.
“He can shoot very low and that’s what you need to do around here. You can play well and miss every cut as the cuts are so tight. The depth and quality of play here is massive,” said Cowen.
The 28-year-old Kiradech is on the verge of earning Special Temporary Membership with the PGA TOUR and that will allow him unlimited sponsor exemptions for the remainder of the season and if he finishes inside the top-125 of the FedExCup points standing, he will become the first Thai to earn a PGA TOUR card.
“Looking back at the WGCs, I’ve shown I can knock on the door in those big events and at the majors, I’m making more cuts. This week feels like a major event and I’m looking forward to challenging. If I can keep up my form, I don’t think the trophy is far away from me,” said Kiradech, who missed the cut at THE PLAYERS Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass in 2016.
“To be here is a great honour, it’s one of the biggest golf tournaments in the world, maybe the fifth major. It’s not easy to get into this field … you’ve got to be top-50 in the world or have full PGA TOUR status. All the top-50 players in the world are here and if I have my A-game, I’m not far away,” added the Thai.
As for Lahiri, he needs to turn his form around to stay on in Top-100 and maybe move into Top-50 and play all the Majors as he did in 2015 and 2016.