Panuwat Hopes to Secure Asian Tour Card With Strong Show at Black Mountain.
Two-time Asian Development Tour winner Panuwat Muenlek eyed on securing a top 5 finish in the Order of Merits for an Asian Tour card next season as he tees off today in the US$115,770 ADT Thongchai Jaidee Foundation at the Black Mountain Golf Club in Hua Hin.
Currently at eighth on the ADT money’s leader rankings, Panuwat whose two ADT victories occurred in Malaysia this year must produce strong impression this week not only for the Asian Tour card but also to challenge for the year end No 1 throne.
In fact with the current Merit leader Johanness Veerman of the US, Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Poom Saksansin, ranked third and sixth on the Order of Merit, having already earned their cards, Panuwat is therefore fifth on the list. But he needs to finish better than American John O’Toole and Indonesian George Gandranata, who follow him at ninth and 10th, this week and at the last ADT event in Nakhon Ratchasima during X’Mas to guarantee a spot for the on the region’s premier Tour.
“My priority concern is finish the top 5 on the ADT this season. But to finish the year as No 1 player is also not bad. It motivates me to produce good results in these last two ADT events (the other is Boonchu Ruangkit Championship),” said Panuwat whose total gross has gone up to US$26,110 , US$32,552 behind Veerman who skips the Hua Hin event.
“I have practiced at the Black Mountain for two days and found that the green is a bit faster than it was last year. I have to focus more on my putting which will be the key,” said Panuwat who landed within the top 50 here 12 months ago.
However Malaysian Gavin Green is the strong candidate to dethrone Veerman from No 1 as he follows the American by just US$5,000 . Green, who has won two ADT titles this seasons and finished runner-up twice, will challenge for the likes of defending champion Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, John Catlin of the United States, who won last week and Itthipat Buratanayarat of Thailand.
European Tour winner Johan Edfors of Sweden, Thai veteran Boonchu Ruangkit and former tennis star turned professional golfer Paradorn Srichaphan will also feature at the tournament.
The ADT Thongchai Jaidee Foundation is the penultimate event on the ADT 2016 Schedule and players are fighting for top-five positions on the Order of Merit to earn Asian Tour cards for 2017.
