Thais, Malaysians tipped for W. Cup spots
Thais, Malaysians tipped for W. Cup spots
Agence France-Presse, Kuala Lumpur
In-form Thai pair Prayad Marksaeng and Thaworn Wiratchant will
start as favourites to qualify for next month's World Cup in
Portugal in the Asian qualifier here starting on Thursday.
Twelve teams will tee up at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club
where the top-two finishers will earn a crack at the US$4 million
total prize money on offer in Portugal.
Host Malaysia's quest has been bolstered by Iain Steel, who
will partner seasoned campaigner Danny Chia. Steel, who is of
Malaysian-Scottish parentage, has spent his professional career
abroad including one season on the US PGA Tour.
Myanmar's Kyi Hla Han, Asia's number one in 1999, will partner
Zaw Moe where he hopes to make it to his fifth World Cup with a
fourth different partner.
Other teams tipped as contenders include Singapore (Mardan
Mamat and Lam Chih Bing), Taiwan (Wang Ter-chang and Chang Tse-
peng) and the Philippines (Angelo Que and Gerald Rosales).
Finland and Slovenia are the only non-Asian teams appearing at
the qualifier, which was also open to European and African
nations.
However, many expect Thailand to earn one of the tickets
available as Thaworn and Prayad are enjoying a rich vein of form,
winning two of the last three events between them on the Asian
Tour.
Their liking of the Kota Permai layout will work in their
favour, as Thaworn, the current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader,
won the 2001 Volvo Masters of Malaysia here -- the same week that
Prayad set a Tour record of eight consecutive birdies.
"This is my third time trying to qualify for the World Cup and
it'll be nice to do it with Prayad, who is a good friend of mine.
My game is good right now and Prayad is also on form after
winning last week in China" at the Crowne Plaza Open, said
Thaworn.
Steel, who has won titles on the Canadian Tour and the
secondary Tour in the United States, is relatively unknown in
Malaysian golfing circles as he attended college in the U.S.
before earning his right to play on the U.S. Tour in 1998.
Big-hitting Chia, who has featured in two previous World Cups,
is looking forward to playing alongside a new partner.
"He's a consistent, steady golfer. I'll be relying on him as
well. But this week, we both have to putt well. The greens are
good and there's not much rough which means the team that putts
well will qualify," said Chia.
The first and third rounds will use the fourball better ball
format while the second and final rounds will play the foursomes
(alternate shot) format.