Golfer Thammanoon goes for back-to-back wins

DUBAI, UAE (Agencies): Thailand's Thammanoon Sriroj tees-off in the US$250,000 Dubai Creek Open today aiming to become the first Asian PGA player to win back-to-back events in three years of the Omega Tour.

Thammanoon, winner of last week's ABN-AMRO Pakistan Masters in Karachi, will also be looking for his third top three finish in as many tournaments, and his fourth of the year, having finished tied for third in last month's Yokohama Singapore PGA Championship and runner-up in the Sabah Masters in August.

The closest anyone has come to posting back-to-back victories in consecutive events on the Omega Tour was Taiwan's Lin Ken-chi in 1995.

Having secured his maiden professional victory in the Tournament Players Championship in Malaysia, the Japanese Tour regular went on to finish tied for sixth in the Formosa Open in Taiwan before winning the Yokohama Singapore PGA Championship the following week.

"I wasn't too disappointed not to win the Singapore PGA, even though I was joint leader going into the last day, because I wasn't hitting the ball that well," said Thammanoon, a three-time winner on the Omega Tour. "But I was very happy with the way I played last week, and if I can keep my rhythm going then I think I'll be in with a good chance at the Creek.

"It can be a very tough course, especially when the wind blows off the Creek, and you have to play some very good golf even to be in with a chance on the final day."

Thammanoon's two other victories on the Omega Tour came in the 1996 Singha Thai Prasit Bangkok Open and the 1996 Tugu Pratama PGA Championship in Indonesia, while the 28-year-old Thai ace finished joint 19th with five other players in last year's Dubai Creek Open.

Hoping to kick-start his season at the Creek this week will be the defending champion Paul Friedlander of Swaziland. The 27-year-old is just one of a 114-strong, quality international field that will be vying for the $40,375 winner's cheque over the notoriously challenging 6,781-yard layout.

The 1997 Dubai Creek Open holds added significance for Friedlander as he needs a strong performance to secure some valuable ranking points in a bid to qualify for next year's Omega Tour.

His highest finish on the Asian PGA circuit this year was joint 22nd in last month's Yokohama Singapore PGA Championship.

Also taking part in what is the 14th leg of the 1997 Omega Tour are last year's runners up, Kyi Hla Han of Myanmar and South Africa's Craig Kamps, the current Omega Order of Merit leader Mike Cunning of America, and second placed Jeev Milkha Singh of India.

Australia's Scott Laycock, who led for the best part of four days in Pakistan before losing to Thammanoon in a thrilling play- off, will also be looking to put the disappointment behind him with a good display over the Creek's links.