Kuala Lumpur, December 9: Prom Meesawat vows to continue the fight for a long-awaited second Asian Tour victory after losing on the first playoff hole to Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain at the Hong Kong Open on Sunday.<\/p>\n
It was the burly Thai\u2019s fourth career lost in sudden-death but he took solace in the defeat which has fuelled his desire to take aim at the star-studded US$1 million Thailand Golf Championship this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m heading to Thailand so hopefully I can raise the Thai flag for the Thailand Golf Championship,\u201d smiled Prom, nicknamed \u2018Big Dolphin\u2019 due to his physique and because he hails from the coastal town of Hua Hin.<\/p>\n
He took pride in his battling performance in Hong Kong, highlighted by a final round five-under-par 65 which included two eagles at the challenging Hong Kong Golf Club.<\/p>\n
With two runner-up results, including a playoff defeat to Liang Wen-chong in the Philippines last month, and one top-10 finish so far this season, Prom insists that he has the game to return to the winner\u2019s circle since his career breakthrough in Korea in 2006.\n<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an amazing week for me. I didn’t feel any disappointment in the playoff. I did the best, and my best finish on that golf course, as well. Very happy with my form and the way I’m playing right now,\u201d said Prom.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy game is not feeling that bad. I didn’t do any mistakes but somebody just played better than me. So I\u2019m still feeling very good.\u201d<\/p>\n
Prom\u2019s second place finish earned him a cool US$112,910 which moved him up to eighth position on the Order of Merit with a season haul of US$289,970, giving him a glimmer of hope to qualify for the EurAsia Cup presented by DRB-HICOM Asian team next March.<\/p>\n
With the top four Asian players at the end of the 2013 season qualifying for Team Asia to face Europe in the Ryder Cup-styled EurAsia Cup at Glenmarie Golf and Country Club in Malaysia, the talented Prom will aim to represent the Asian team on his own merit.<\/p>\n
More than US$170,000 separates him from fourth placed Gaganjeet Bhullar of India and it will be a tight race to the finishing line to see who earns a spot in the Asian team.
<\/p>\n
Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand has virtually won the Asian Tour Order of Merit with earnings of US$1,117,074 while Scott Hend of Australia, a three-time winner in 2013, sits in second on US$571,400.<\/p>\n
Bangladeshi star Siddikur is placed third with earnings of US$486,667 courtesy of his victory at the Hero Indian Open last month followed by Anirban Lahiri of India (US$427,496), Liang Wen-chong of China (US$398,798) and Baek Seuk-hyun of Korea (US$323,743) in fifth, sixth and seventh positions respectively.<\/p>\n
The Asian Tour\u2019s next stop will be at the US$1 million Thailand Golf Championship which is played at the majestic Amata Spring Country Club from December 12 to 15.
<\/p>\n
ASIAN TOUR ORDER OF MERIT (TOP-20)<\/strong><\/p>\n Pos Player Order of Merit<\/strong><\/p>\n 1 Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 1,117,074<\/p>\n 2 Scott HEND (AUS) 571,400<\/p>\n 3 Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 486,667<\/p>\n 4 Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 462,378<\/p>\n 5 Anirban LAHIRI (IND) 427,496<\/p>\n 6 LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 398,798<\/p>\n 7 BAEK Seuk-hyun (KOR) 323,743<\/p>\n 8 Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 289,970<\/p>\n 9 Shiv KAPUR (IND) 289,871<\/p>\n 10 Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 262,697<\/p>\n 11 Wade ORMSBY (AUS) 241,234<\/p>\n 12 Angelo QUE (PHI) 236,821<\/p>\n 13 Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 198,055<\/p>\n 14 S.S.P. CHOWRASIA (IND) 196,731<\/p>\n 15 Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 186,568<\/p>\n 16 Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 173,558<\/p>\n 17 KIM Gi-whan (KOR) 169,484<\/p>\n 18 Berry HENSON (USA) 164,401<\/p>\n 19 Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 159,787<\/p>\n 20 Chawalit PLAPHOL (THA) 156,072<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Kuala Lumpur, December 9: Prom Meesawat vows to continue the fight for a long-awaited second Asian Tour victory after losing on the first playoff hole to Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain at the Hong Kong Open on Sunday.<\/p>\n It was the burly Thai\u2019s fourth career lost in sudden-death but he took solace in the defeat which has fuelled his desire to take aim at the star-studded US$1 million Thailand Golf Championship this week.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m heading to Thailand so hopefully I can raise the Thai flag for the Thailand Golf Championship,\u201d smiled Prom, nicknamed \u2018Big Dolphin\u2019 due to his physique and because he hails from the coastal town of Hua Hin.<\/p>\n He took pride in his battling performance in Hong Kong, highlighted by a final round five-under-par 65 which included two eagles at the challenging Hong Kong Golf Club.<\/p>\n With two runner-up results, including a playoff defeat to Liang Wen-chong in the Philippines last month, and one top-10 finish so far this season, Prom insists that he has the game to return to the winner\u2019s circle since his career breakthrough in Korea in 2006.<\/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-18800","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world-golf-news"],"yoast_head":"\n