A refreshed Thongchai Jaidee believes he is hitting the golf ball better than everĀ as he prepares to launch a worthy challenge at the MastersĀ Tournament next week.
TheĀ 45-year-old Asian Tour starĀ hopes a month-long break from tournament play ahead of theĀ seasonās first Major championship will ignite his game atĀ Augusta National Golf Club from April 9-12.
A return to Augusta will bringĀ back good memories for the celebrated Thai golfer as he madeĀ the halfway cut last year in his third attempt at theĀ Masters Tournament, which completed a career goal of playingĀ in all four rounds of every Major championship.
Like most, the world number 43Ā desires a Major win in his resume and despite his advancedĀ age, the veteran believes the Masters Tournament will offerĀ the best opportunity for him to contend.
āI feel Iām ready for theĀ upcoming Masters Tournament. Iāve had a full month of notĀ playing in tournaments and was instead getting myself readyĀ for the Masters,ā said Thongchai.
āIāve been hitting the ballĀ better despite my advancing age but Iām good in trying toĀ keep my body fit and healthy by doing regular gym work. IĀ stay fit all the time to make sure that my golf is at itsĀ best.ā
In recent years, the formerĀ paratrooper, the only player to win three Asian Tour OrderĀ of Merit crowns, has firmly established himself as a leadingĀ international golfer. After finishing tied 37thĀ at Augusta National last April, he went on to win theĀ Nordea Masters in Sweden for his second victory on EuropeanĀ soil.Ā
A 13-time Asian Tour winner, he isĀ also in contention to qualify for the International Team forĀ the Presidents Cup against the United States in Korea thisĀ October where he is presently ranked seventh on theĀ team listings.
Thongchai, who finished tiedĀ second in the inaugural True Thailand Classic in February,Ā knows he cannot be overly aggressive at Augusta NationalĀ despite his eagerness to feature on theĀ leaderboard.
āIāve learned a lot from myĀ three visits to Augusta National. Itās not a golf courseĀ where you can go aggressive as it will punish you,Ā especially around the greens. You need to be steady andĀ consistent toĀ play each shot and try to make birdies when there is a goodĀ opportunity,ā said Thongchai.
Despite it being his fourth visit,Ā he cannot wait to take the drive down Magnolia Lane andĀ compete in the popular par-three tournament which is stagedĀ on the eve of the prestigious tournament.
āAugusta National is a uniqueĀ course unlike the other majors where they switch differentĀ courses every year,ā he said. āThere is so muchĀ tradition at the Masters Tournament … such as the parĀ three contest.Ā Itāll be a good week.ā
With Y.E. Yang being Asiaās loneĀ Major winner following his success in the 2009 PGAĀ Championship, Thongchai believes it will only be a matter ofĀ time before other Asian golfers win Major titles.
āItās true we havenāt seenĀ any Asians breaking through but as time goes by, we canĀ expect more wins from Asian players,ā he said.Ā
āDevelopment of golf needs timeĀ and these days, I see golfers from Japan and Korea have beenĀ coming out strong and representing our continent on theĀ world stage. A country like India is also doing well. ButĀ at the end of the day, it needs time.ā
