Thai Boonchu bids for third London Myanmar Open title

BAGAN, Myanmar (Agencies): Veteran Thai golfer Boonchu Ruangkit will literally walk with the gods should he be successful in the US$225,000 London Myanmar Open which tees off tomorrow at Bagan Golf Resort.

The 41-year-old, playing against the backdrop of the temples and pagodas of the ancient capital city of Bagan, will attempt to extend further his list of record breaking achievements in what is the opening event on the 1998 Asian PGA's Omega Tour.

Drawing on the inspirational setting, Boonchu is bidding for his third London Myanmar Open victory in a row and his fifth Omega Tour title.

The Thai player won the London Myanmar Open last year in Yangon and remains as the only player to have successfully defended an Omega Tour title and the only player to triumph four times on Tour.

"I have been practicing hard every day for the past month in preparation for this event," said Boonchu. "I am happy with my swing but ever since the Johnnie Walker Classic in January I have been having difficulty with my putting. Putting is normally my strength and hopefully I will be able to recover my touch this week. This course will suit the long hitters which unfortunately I am not. If you can carry the ball 260 yards then you will avoid most of the hazards," added Boonchu.

Boonchu won both of his Myanmar Open titles in sudden-death play-offs. In 1997 he beat Australian John Senden while two years ago he defeated Australian Jeff Senior.

A strong field has made the trip to Myanmar this week.

Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng and Thammanoon Sriroj, who both made the cut in last week's Dubai Desert Classic on the PGA European Tour, will both be attempting to catch Boonchu by capturing a fourth Omega Tour title. China's Zhang Lian-wei, American Ed Fryatt winner of the Malaysian Open two weeks ago -- and Taiwan's Lin Keng-chi winner of the Omega Order of Merit in 1995 -- will also be challenging for honors.

This season marks the Omega Tour's fourth year since its inauguration in June of 1995. The Tour will once again travel across the Asia Pacific region staging 22 tournaments competing for overall prizemoney of $6 million.

The 1998 circuit will travel to fourteen different countries before the season-closing Asian Matchplay Championship in Taiwan in December.

Despite the downturn in the past year, the 1998 Tour has a number of new events to make up for those that will not be held again.

The $300,000 Classic Indian Open will be held in Calcutta immediately after the Myanmar Open, and will be followed by the $200,000 Orient Masters in Xiamen, China another event making its debut.

The $250,000 Centennial Cup in the Philippines and the $200,000 Thailand Open also join the circuit this year.