Relaxed Boonchu ready to defend Lexus golf title
By Bobby Allan Wilson
BANGKOK (JP): For Thailand's Boonchu Ruangkit, playing under the burden of expectation has never been a problem. Indeed, Thailand's most successful golfer thrives under such circumstances, and as he prepares to defend his US$200,000 Lexus International title today he is more concerned with overcoming the effects of jet lag than how he will perform.
Already the only player to have successfully defended an Omega Tour title, Boonchu will consolidate his position as the Asian PGA's most winning performer if he triumphs in the 18th leg of the 1997 Omega Tourat Bangpoo Country Club.
"The pressure never worries me, and although I'm the defending champion this week and playing in my home city, I'm more worried about getting over my jet lag," said Boonchu, who returned from Atlanta, America, last Friday after competing in the Gene Sarazen Open.
"I keep waking up at three in the morning, and then as a result feeling very tired in the afternoon."
Despite missing the cut in America, Boonchu is satisfied with his form. "I struggled with the cold in America as the temperatures were as low as four degrees in the morning. But I'm hitting the ball OK, although I've had to make one or two changes since playing in Dubai a month ago where I was having to cut the ball due to the strong winds."
If Boonchu collects the $32,300 winner's check over the 7,048- yard layout, he will become the first competitor to win five Omega Tour events and repeat his feat from earlier in the season when he won the London Myanmar Open for the second consecutive year.
"It's too late for me to win the Omega Order of Merit this year because I have to play the Johnnie Walker Super Tour instead of the $500,000 Omega PGA Championship next month," added Boonchu, currently 16th on the Asian PGA money list.
"But I have a good chance of finishing in the top 10 if I do win, and this would also give Thailand more Omega titles than any other country, which can only be good for Asian golf."
Most Tour
Thailand, with 10 victories, currently shares the most Omega Tour wins by any one country with the United States.
Also flying the Thai flag this week will be Prayad Marksaeng, winner of October's Yokohama Singapore PGA Championship, and Thammanoon Sriroj, who finished first in the ABN-AMRO Pakistan Masters two weeks later.
They lie eighth and ninth respectively on the Order of Merit. America's Mike Cunning, who has eight top 10 finishes from 13 starts this year, also aims to consolidate his lead at the top of the Omega Order of Merit with a strong performance at the Bangpoo Country Club.
With only four events remaining on the 1997 Omega Tour, Cunning can steal some vital ground on his nearest rival Jeev Milkha Singh of India, and third-placed Gerry Norquist of America, who are both absent this week.
Singh is in Spain attempting to qualify for the PGA European Tour, while Norquist is in America playing the second round of the U.S. PGA Tour School.
After Bangkok the Tour will move to Jakarta for the $250,000 Tugu Pratama scheduled to be staged at Pondok Indah Kapuk from Nov. 25 to Nov. 29.