Sep 22, 2016: Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee will head to Korea with happy memories when the highly-anticipated KRW 1.2 billion (approximately US$1 million) Shinhan Donghae Open gets underway at the Bears Best Cheongna Golf Club next week.
Thongchai claimed his breakthrough on the Asian Tour with his maiden win at the Korean Open in 2000 and that victory played a pivotal role in setting him on his way towards establishing himself as one of Asia’s greatest players and a global golf star.
Today, the 46-year-old holds the illustrious honor of winning a record three Asian Tour Order of Merit titles along with 13 career victories and four wins on the European Tour.
It is no secret why Thongchai is delighted to be heading back to the country which launched his golf career.
“I’ll always remember my first win in Korea as that was also the first in my career. More importantly, that win also gave me the confidence to go on and achieve bigger things.
“If I didn’t win that tournament, I would have lost confidence and I don’t think I would have won so many tournaments. Winning in Korea made me hungry to win more tournaments,” said Thongchai.
Inaugurated in 1981, the long-established Shinhan Donghae Open sees the return of the Asian Tour as its new sanctioning partner along with the Korean PGA. The popular event last featured on the Asian Tour schedule in 2002.
Thongchai will be hoping to add his name to the Shinhan Donghae Open’s roll of honor that includes Asian Tour honorary members K.J. Choi and India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, Korea’s Charlie Wi and Sangmoon Bae as well as international luminaries Paul Casey of England and Japan’s Seiji Ebihara.
He will however face stiff opposition from home favourites, K.T. Kim and Younghan Song, all winners on the Asian Tour.
Defending champion and Olympian Byeonghun An of Korea will also make it an intimidating contest for the Thai legend.
The world number 35 has enjoyed a good season so far, notching four top-five finishes including a tied-second placing at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA TOUR.
Other marquee names for the Shinhan Donghae Open include Australia’s Scott Hend, who currently leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit, New Zealand’s Danny Lee and India’s Arjun Atwal, who is the first Indian golfer to win on the PGA TOUR.
“It’s a good field but I’m also all ready for the challenge. I look forward to a good contest,” said Thongchai.
Sponsored by the Shinhan Financial Group for the past 32 years, the Shinhan Donghae Open will also be the last major tournament on the KPGA schedule.
As an added motivation for players from the KPGA, the top three players not otherwise exempt will earn places at the US$1.1 million Venetian Macao Open scheduled from October 13 to 16.
Asian Tour Release
