Thongchai ready to triumph at Black Mountain Masters
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Thai hero Thongchai Jaidee has committed to the US$600,000 Black Mountain Masters next month with every intention of ending his season on a winning note.
The decorated Thai, a three-time Asian Tour number one, will join defending champion Johan Edfors of Sweden, England's Simon Khan and Finland's Mikko Ilonen at the Black Mountain Golf Club from December 16-19 in what is to be the Asian Tour's season finale.
A gathering of Asia's top stars will also help ensure a climatic finish to the 2010 season.
"I'm looking forward to the Black Mountain Masters. I will have a break before going to Hua Hin for my last tournament of the year," said Thongchai, who finished tied eighth at the Dubai World Championship on Sunday.
"The Black Mountain Masters is a great tournament and I'm looking forward to a good week. We'll have a strong field in Hua Hin which will make it very exciting."
In last year's inaugural Black Mountain Masters, the 41-year-old Thongchai finished tied fifth in front of his home fans. As he is still winless this year, the Thai ace is determined to end his 2010 campaign in style.
"I'm happy with my season. I've played some good golf. I've not won this year but I'll keep trying, maybe at the Black Mountain Masters. I'll be trying my best there for sure," said Thongchai, who is a 12-time winner in Asia.
"I had some trouble with my putting all year. As I was playing in America, Europe and Asia, I putted on all types of greens and it affected my putting stroke. I'll be working hard on my putting ahead of the Black Mountain Masters."
Thongchai reckons the award-winning golf course is the ideal venue to bring the curtains down on another highly successful season on the Asian Tour.
"It's a good course. It feels like a holiday in some ways as we are in a resort town and I'll bring my family with me and we'll stay at the golf course," said Thongchai.
"It's a challenging layout. It's very hilly and you need to know your distances well due to the elevation changes. There are many strong holes on the back nine which will make it interesting for the tournament."
The full-field Black Mountain Masters will feature a minimum 132 players where the tournament winner will earn a two-year exemption on the Asian Tour, widely regarded now as the third largest Tour in the world behind the PGA Tour and European Tour.
The Black Mountain Masters has also been nominated as the flagship event of the Asian Tour this year which ensures greater world ranking points for the players.
The tournament will be broadcast live over four rounds on the Asian Tour's global television network which reaches over 40 countries worldwide.
