KUALA LUMPUR – Feb. 9, 2005 – Thailand's Thammanoon Srirot has a battle on his hands in his bid for an ‘automatic selection’ into the Asian Team that will defend the Visa Dynasty Cup against a Shigeki Maruyama-led Japan from April 15-17.
Thammanoon holed the winning putt when Asia triumphed by nine points over Japan in the Ryder Cup-style shootout at Mission Hills Golf Club in China two years ago but the Thai star, currently ninth on the Asian team ranking, needs two solid performances to secure an automatic selection into captain Hsieh Min-nan's line-up. The top-eight players will earn direct entry into the team, with Hsieh, who was inspirational in Asia's success in 2003, having four captain's picks for April's clash at the Mission Hills' World Cup course.
Next week's Carlsberg Malaysian Open and the Myanmar Open, from February 24-27, on the Asian Tour will be the last two counting events.
Thammanoon, last season's winner of the Tianjin TEDA Open in China, has accumulated 227 points and trails eighth-ranked Jyoti Randhawa of India by a mere 18 points. Randhawa, who triumphed in last December's Volvo Masters of Asia, was also a main fixture in the winning side where he won all of his three matches in what is now dubbed the "Massacre at Mission Hills" in 2003.
Other players jostling hard for places include Amandeep Johl of India, who is ranked 10th with 177 points while Chang Tse-peng and Chen Yuan-chi, both of Chinese Taipei, have outside chances in 11th and 12th places respectively.
Last season's Asian Tour number one Thongchai Jaidee heads the ranking with 416 points with compatriots Boonchu Ruangkit, Thaworn Wiratchant and Prayad Marksaeng near certainties to feature in Hsieh's team.
Korean duo Charlie Wi, now playing on the US PGA Tour, and Mo Joong-kyung along with Singapore's Mardan Mamat are ranked fourth, fifth and seventh respectively and poised to represent Asia.
Japan have named a star-studded line-up in their bid to win the Visa Dynasty Cup. Non-playing captain Isao Aoki has named US-based Maruyama and Toshimitsu Izawa as his two captain's picks while Shingo Katayama, who topped the money ranking in Japan last year, is also expected to play a prominent role against Asia in April.
ASIAN TEAM RANKING
POS PLAYER PLD POINTS
1 Thongchai JAIDEE (THA) 10 416.00
2 Boonchu RUANGKIT (THA) 21 414.30
3 Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 22 408.47
4 Charlie WI (KOR) 14 360.04
5 MO Joong-kyung (KOR) 13 281.50
6 Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 11 265.00
7 Mardan MAMAT (SIN) 20 260.50
8 Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 8 245.25
9 Thammanoon SRIROT (THA) 13 227.00
10 Amandeep JOHL (IND) 24 177.00
11 CHANG Tse-peng (TPE) 11 175.00
12 CHEN Yuan-chi (TPE) 20 167.50
13 CHUNG Joon (KOR) 15 167.21
14 Chawalit PLAPHOL (THA) 11 156.00
15 WANG Ter-chang (TPE) 17 149.47
16 KANG Wook-soon (KOR) 11 133.33
17 Ted OH (KOR) 12 132.21
18 Rahil GANGJEE (IND) 18 124.11
19 LIN Wen-tang (TPE) 12 117.75
20 ZHANG Lian-wei (CHN) 9 116.00
21 LEE Sung-man (KOR) 17 113.72
22 LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 10 113.20
23 Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) 13 110.33
24 LU Wen-teh (TPE) 15 106.50
25 Angelo QUE (PHI) 15 104.00
Note: Top-8 players earn automatic selection while there are four captain's picks.
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