Linkou, Chinese Taipei: Thai hotshot Pavit Tangkamolprasert will be back on familiar grounds, attempting to win a record sixth Asian Development Tour (ADT) title at the Charming Yeangder ADT which starts on Thursday.
The 28-year-old Thai, who beat local hero Lin Wen-tang on the fourth play-off hole for his fifth ADT title last year, will be eyeing for a first successful title defence in his career, albeit on a different golf course at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club.
He will contend against an elite 144-men field, consisting of the leading top 10 players on the current Order of Merit led by countrymen Pannakorn Uthaipas, as well as more than 35 ADT champions at the US$150,000 event from July 6 to 9.
Pavit, one of the most successful graduates of the ADT, hopes to find comfort when he returns to a familiar battling ground for his title defence.
Since winning his ADT breakthrough at the 2013 season-ending event in Indonesia, Pavit had clinched three other victories to win the Order of Merit in 2014, earning his Asian Tour card for the following season.
He claimed a record-tying fifth title at the 2016 Charming Yeangder ADT last April and his career continued to blossom as he went on to secure his Asian Tour breakthrough in Macau six months later.
“It’s always good to be playing in Asia! I had a few opportunities to play in Europe over the past few months. I had some great experiences and I have learnt a lot from playing there.
“It’s pretty different there. There are a lot of things to get used to, like the type of grass they play on, the weather, the stronger field and the food. I feel like I have become a stronger player now although I have only made two cuts so far,” Pavit said.
Despite coming off the back of a top-10 result on home soil last week, Pavit conceded he needs to play down his expectations in his bid as he knows the challenges of the course.
“I played well in Thailand last week so I have definitely taken some positives heading into this week. The most challenging part of this course is the greens. I always have a hard time reading the greens here even though I know the layout hasn’t changed much,” added Pavit.
Lin, a six-time Asian Tour winner and a two-time winner on the ADT, is set the spearhead the local challenge alongside Lu Wei-chih, Hsieh Chih-hsien and Hung Chien-yao when the region’s secondary circuit returns to Chinese Taipei for the second time this season.
Other notable players in the field include Thailand’s Tirawat Kaewsiribandit, who won his maiden ADT win on home soil last week, Ben Leong of Malaysia, American Brett Munson, Arie Irawan of Malaysia and Michael Tran of Vietnam.
Players will benefit from one of the biggest prize funds on offer at the Charming Yeangder ADT which is sure to prove crucial for players hoping to earn graduation to the Asian Tour at the end of the season.
Like previous years, the top-five finishers on the ADT Order of Merit at the end of the season will earn playing rights on the region’s premier Tour in 2018. The winner of the fourth edition of the Charming Yeangder ADT will take home a prize purse of US$26,250.
By featuring on the ADT schedule, the event will also receive Official World Golf Ranking status, with the winner receiving a minimum of six points and the top-six players and ties earning points on a sliding scale.
