Qualifying Tournament For World Cup Next Week In Malaysia

Thongchai and Prayad favourites for World Cup berth

By LIM TEIK HUAT

PETALING JAYA: Thai stars Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng form a powerful combination in a bid to qualify for the World Cup from the Fortis International Challenge at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club next week.

Thailand missed out on an automatic slot for World Cup, which will be held at the Mission Hills Golf Club in China from Nov 22-25, by one rung in the Official World Golf Rankings, which determined the 18 exempt nations.

Although Thongchai and Prayad are the first reserves, they have decided to compete for one of five tickets available from the qualifying tournament in Kota Permai. They will start as the favourites to win in the 21-team field.

Prayad, a five-time winner on the Asian Tour, said: “I believe we are a good pair for Thailand. I would really like to see Thailand being one of the teams to qualify.

“I feel proud to have the opportunity to represent Thailand. Many of our new players have showed interest to qualify but I was lucky that my world ranking was high enough for me to get in with Thongchai.”

Thongchai has been the Asian Tour’s top performer over the last few years and he has won two UBS Order of Merit titles along with eight career wins.

Prayad Marksaeng

The former paratrooper, who has earned over US$2mil to lead the career earnings in Asia, has a fondness for Malaysia. He won the Maybank Malaysian Open title twice in 2004 and 2005 and will also relish a return to Kota Permai as he finished fifth in the 2004 Volvo Masters of Asia.

This season, Thongchai has produced one top-10 and three other top-20s on the Asian Tour. In Europe, he has registered two top-10s and four top-20s.

Prayad, whose lone World Cup appearance was in 1999 when it was staged in Malaysia, has showed some superb form with four top-10s on the Asian Tour and six top-10s in the Japan Tour, including two runner-up finishes this year.

The Challenge in Kota Permai will use the fourball (better ball) format in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds.

Another five qualifying slots will be available from a South American tournament to make up a 28-team field for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

The Star