Jaidee strives for first victory since '06 in Malaysia

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Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, August 5: Thai star Thongchai Jaidee hopes a return to Malaysia will see him regain his winning habit at the Worldwide Selangor Masters which starts on Wednesday.

Matthew Lewis/Getty Images

Thongchai Jaidee headlines a strong field at the Worldwide Selangor Masters.

Thongchai, a two-time Asian Tour number one, is the biggest name in this week's RM1 million (US $310,000) event at Seri Selangor Golf Club and plans to live up to his star billing with a first victory since the end of 2006.

"I feel confident. I'm here to win," said Thongchai today. "I've had a three-week break and I feel fresh coming out. I'm always happy to come back to Malaysia as I've won the Malaysian Open twice previously (in 2004 and 2005)."

The former paratrooper, who is the top career-money earner on the Asian Tour following eight victories, endured a tough front half of the season with illness and injuries curtailing his appearances and form. An old back injury has bogged Thongchai down which has required the 38-year-old to maintain a strict exercise and stretching regime.

Such has been his fortunes that he has posted only one top-10 in Beijing this season but Thongchai hopes to turn his season around with a winning week at the Worldwide Selangor Masters, which kick-starts the second half of the Asian Tour season.

"My doctor has given me the go-ahead to play but I need to continuously strengthen my back and go through stretching exercises to keep it in shape. However, I cannot do much gym work or running as before due to my back," said Thongchai, who will play the first two rounds with in-form Malaysian Ben Leong and Korea's Noh Seung-yul.

"However, I'm hitting it nicely with some slight adjustments but I need to putt better which has held me back. The first six months of the year was tough but that's in the past now. I know I have to keep my body strong and start playing well again.

"My last win was the Volvo Masters of Asia in 2006, so it's been a while. I also want a win to get into the HSBC Champions later this year."

Another man who intends to triumph on one of his favorite courses is Malaysia's Iain Steel. He won a domestic event at the par-71 Seri Selangor course two years ago but has been pursuing a maiden Asian Tour triumph since making his debut in 2006.

He enjoyed the five-week summer break at his home base in Alabama, playing the fatherly role to a new son but Steel simply can't wait to strike his first tee shot for the second half of the year.

"It'll be good to get the ball rolling again. In the past three or four weeks, I've put a lot of work into the game with a new coach. I've been trying a few things to see if it works. Hopefully it'll be a good second half for me," said Steel.

Steel, who played on the PGA TOUR for one season during the late 1990s, knows the narrow Seri Selangor layout will fit his straight-hitting game perfectly. "The course has never been this firm before and it makes the course narrower and shorter. Being on the fairway will be a premium this week.

"It's always good to come back to a course where you know where the bounces are going to come from," said Steel.

Airil Rizman, one of two Malaysians to win on the Asian Tour, welcomed the Worldwide Selangor Masters onto the burgeoning Asian Tour Schedule after it was launched as a domestic tournament last year.

"It's a big thing for the local players. It'll be good to play against better players on a very good golf course. A lot of Malaysian players are thankful for this. Most of them are nervous as they've been playing against themselves for long but will now face international and better players this week," said Airil.

Big-hitting Scott Hend, currently 15th on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit, will be one of the international stars tipped to contend. The former US PGA Tour regular however needs to shake off the rust in his game following the summer break.

"I've played only eight rounds of golf in the past six weeks," said Hend. "I've been doing a lot of house work and spending time with the kids but I have missed being competitive and playing against these guys.

"I've had ordinary moments this year and hope to have some better ones later this year. The greens here are fantastic. The fairways are challenging to judge on which side for us to drive it too. I hope it doesn't rain as it'll make it harder and it'll narrow the field down. It will be challenging if the greens stay firm and as fast as they are," said Hend, who was last season's rookie of the year.