Tour championship comes to Viet Nam

Major golf tourneys to tee off in the north

Travel firms aim high for golf tour

 
The US$60,000 tournament, which marks the first time the Mercedes-Benz Tour has staged a Match-play event, tees off today at Song Be Golf Resort featuring 32 of the circuit’s best players lining up in 16 matches.

Second seed Thanyakon Khrongpha, also of Thailand, who has caught the eye with a brilliant rookie season, has been drawn to play against Viet Nam’s leading golfer Tran Le Duy Nhat.

The top two ranked players start as hot favourites as they both boast fine records on the Mercedes-Benz Tour.

Namchok claimed the Mercedes-Benz Tour Order of Merit title last year, while Thanyakon claimed the Kariza Indonesia Championship in May.

Thanyakon is the highest ranked player in the field from this year’s Merit list as he lies in third place, having earned $18,131 from seven events. A strong finish will allow him to overtake or close the gap on Merit list leader Juvic Pagunsan of the Philippines who has earned $22,450.

Namchok is ninth on the Merit list and can also make up ground on Pagunsan and entertain hopes of retaining his Merit list crown with only next month’s Mercedes-Benz Masters Indonesia tournament remaining.

A powerful contingent from Thailand is competing at the event including Wisut Artjanawat, who won it in 2008.

Wisut, seeded third, will go head to head with compatriot Tepphatud Sanawong on the opening day, which will see round-two matches played in the afternoon.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals will be played tomorrow, and the finals as well as the playoff matches for third and fourth place will take place on Saturday.

Some of the competitors expected to do well in the tournament include Filipino Jay Bayron, Malaysian Nicholas Fung and Thailand’s Panuphol Pittayarat and Pavit Tangkamolprasert.

Bayron, who is also chasing the Merit list title as he is ranked in fifth place, will battle it out against Somsak Khaopratham from Thailand.

Fung, the impressive rookie from Sabah, will play Thailand’s Somkiat Srisanga.

Panuphol, the 17 year old who claimed second place in this year’s Mercedes-Benz Masters Singapore, goes up against Malaysian Anis Helmi Hassan while Pavit, runner up in Viet Nam last season, will attempt to overcome countryman Supravee Phatam.

VietNamNet/Viet Nam News