Still regarded as the flagship event on the Asian Tour, the $5 million tournament joined up with the European Tour this year and will boast its strongest ever field as the pursuit for a big payday in the Middle East next month nears its conclusion.Marquee players such as Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy, Padraig Harrington and K.J. Choi will also line up at island’s Serapong Course but Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee is confident he can upset the odds and emerge as champion.
“This year, my body is stronger than last year,” the former paratrooper said.
“The key this year has been my health. If I feel strong, I can play well. I played well in a couple of majors and it’s given me a lot of confidence.”
The 39-year-old Thongchai has been a big name in the region for a decade, winning two Asian Tour order of merit titles, but has made a global breakthrough this year with victories in co-sanctioned events in South Korea and Indonesia.
The Lop Buri native has seven other top-20 finishes on the European Tour this year and sits just three places outside the top 15 in the Race to Dubai rankings.
