Seoul: Thailand\u2019s Kiradech Aphibarnrat will be looking forward to claim another major scalp when he tees off against some of the world\u2019s best players at the Ballantine\u2019s Championship which returns to the Blackstone Golf Club from April 25-28.<\/p>\n
The \u20ac2.2 million showpiece will be the first event to be played in Korea on the Asian Tour this season and is sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Korea PGA.<\/p>\n
Kiradech, who currently leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit, held off a host of star players to win his first co-sanctioned title in Malaysia last month and is ready to repeat his victorious feat at the Ballantine\u2019s Championship next week.\n<\/p>\n
With the sixth edition of the Ballantine\u2019s Championship headlined by 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen as well as American Ryder Cup stars Dustin Johnson and Zach Johnson, Kiradech wants to prove that he can stay equal to the task again.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to finish as high as possible with every tournament that I compete in. I\u2019m enjoying a good run of form and I\u2019m feeling very confident about my game, especially after my win in Malaysia,\u201d said Kiradech.<\/p>\n
Kiradech is among over 30 champions from the Asian Tour poised to ignite the rivalry with their counterparts from the European Tour at the Ballantine\u2019s Championship.<\/p>\n
Other Asian Tour stars expected to feature prominently at the Ballantine\u2019s Championship include India\u2019s Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar and Australia\u2019s Scott Hend, winner of the Chiangmai Golf Classic last month.<\/p>\n
Bhullar, who trails Kiradech on the Order of Merit by slightly under US$350,000 in second place, is ready to play catch-up when he steps up to the tee at the Ballantine\u2019s Championship.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy goal is to win the Order of Merit this season. I\u2019ve gained lots of confidence from my second placed finish at the Avantha Masters and I\u2019m look forward to playing well again,\u201d said Bhullar, a four-time Asian Tour winner.<\/p>\n
Past and present Asian Tour Order of Merit winners which include three-time Order of Merit winner Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, compatriot Thaworn Wiratchant, India\u2019s Jeev Milkha Singh and China\u2019s Liang Wen-chong will also be looking to vie for top honours.<\/p>\n
To date, Thongchai and Australia\u2019s Marcus Fraser remain as the only Asian Tour players to have won the Ballantine\u2019s Championship in 2009 and 2010 respectively.<\/p>\n
The Ballantine\u2019s Championship was established in 2008 and builds on Ballantine\u2019s long-standing association with golf.<\/p>\n
In addition to the Championship, Ballantine\u2019s sponsors several top-flight players and events, as well as invests in grass-roots activity such as the Golf Fund in China and the Road to the Ballantine\u2019s Championship in Korea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Seoul: Thailand\u2019s Kiradech Aphibarnrat will be looking forward to claim another major scalp when he tees off against some of the world\u2019s best players at the Ballantine\u2019s Championship which returns to the Blackstone Golf Club from April 25-28.<\/p>\n
The \u20ac2.2 million showpiece will be the first event to be played in Korea on the Asian Tour this season and is sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and Korea PGA.<\/p>\n
Kiradech, who currently leads the Asian Tour Order of Merit, held off a host of star players to win his first co-sanctioned title in Malaysia last month and is ready to repeat his victorious feat at the Ballantine\u2019s Championship next week.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-14686","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world-golf-news"],"yoast_head":"\n