Bangkok, Thailand, November 27: Korea’s Sanghyun Park will continue his chase for the coveted Asian Tour Merit crown when he tees off at the Queen’s Cup hosted by Jaidee Foundation on Thursday.

Placed second on the Habitat for Humanity standings, Park is looking forward to close the gap on leader, Shubhankar Sharma of India, who has opted not to play this week, with a fine showing in the US$500,000 event held at the highly-rated Legacy Golf Club.

With only three events left to play on the schedule and a winner’s prize purse of US$90,000 on offer this week, Park will have everything to play for when he makes his debut appearance at the event which will be hosted by Thai veteran Thongchai Jaidee.

While the battle for the prestigious Merit crown continues this week, the spotlight will also fall on players vying to finish inside the top-60 on the money list to retain their playing rights for the next season.

The 35-year-old Korean will spearhead a star-studded 132-men field with no fewer than 30 Asian Tour winners, including defending champion Jazz Janewattanond, who won in July for his second Asian Tour title.

Jazz, who turned 23 on Monday, hopes to make up for the disappointment of missing the cut in Hong Kong last week by putting up a strong title defence worthy of his status as the rising star from the country, albeit on a different course.

Korean-American Sihwan Kim, placed eighth on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, continues to seek his Asian Tour breakthrough at the event, held in honour of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit.

Kim has been knocking on the door to his maiden win all season, claiming five top-five finishes, including a tied-third result at the last edition of the Queen’s Cup.

Thongchai will assume responsibility of tournament host for the first time on the Asian Tour with the intention of drawing attention to the Jaidee Foundation, which focuses on giving back to the under-privileged golfers in his hometown.

Did you know?

• Sanghyun Park, who sits in second place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings with a current haul of US$561,898, is the highest-ranked player this week and trails leader Shubhankar Sharma by US$194,096.
• Park broke into the Asian Tour winner’s circle at the 37th GS Caltex Maekyung Open Golf Championship in May after emerging victorious following a four-way play-off.
• He claimed his second victory four months later on home soil at the 34th Shinhan Donghae Open where he led from start to finish.
• Park hails from Korea but he spends close to two months of the winter season in Thailand to take advantage of the warm weather to practice.
• Jazz Janewattananond claimed his second Asian Tour title on home soil at the Queen’s Cup in July that was held at Phoenix Gold Golf and Country Club for the first time.
• The Thai has enjoyed one win and three top-10 finishes and has only missed two cuts in his last eight appearances at the Queen’s Cup.
• Jazz has successfully defended his title before on the All Thailand Golf Tour in 2017, but this week will be the first time he will defend a title on the region’s premier Tour.
• Sihwan Kim sits in eighth place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings with a current haul of US$362,883.
• Kim came through Asian Tour Qualifying School in 2017 and kept his card for the 2018 season after finishing in 55th place on the Merit standings.
• Playing in only his second season on Tour, he has already claimed five top-five finishes this year including a runner-up finish in Chinese Taipei in October.

Players’ Quotes:

Sanghyun Park (Kor)

I love Thailand very much and conditions are great this week so I am hoping for a good showing. Two more games for me this season and I don’t want to put too much pressure on myself and I just want to do my best.

Last week in Hong Kong was unfortunate for me but I look at it as a week off golf to just recuperate and get some rest. My travel plans have been so hectic so it was nice to get a bit of a break. This has been a great season for me with two wins in a single season. I just want to end the year on a good note and overtaking the top spot will be a nice bonus. Right now, I am 118th on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR) so my main goal for the next two events is to improve on that and get myself inside the top-100.

Sihwan Kim (Usa)

I am pretty satisfied with how my season has been going, hopefully I can finish on a good note. Two more tournaments till the end of the season and I am going to very aggressive. I have had enough top-five finishes this year that has put me in a good position on the Habitat for Humanity Standings. I have come close so many times this season and I really just need a win to end the season well.

I played alright last week but I struggled to finish well on the last day. I am playing good but I just need to start make some putts. Honestly, I am feeling pretty tired towards the end of the season and have been playing a lot of golf so I just need to keep my momentum going.

It is my third time in Thailand this year and I finished well at the Queen’s cup in July. I’m really just going to focus on my putting this week especially inside 10-feet. If I make some putts here, I know it will be a good week for me.

Jazz Janewattananond (Tha)

It is my first time defending a title on the Asian Tour. It is a pretty weird feeling because this is a new golf course and I have never played on this course before. A lot of Thai golfers have an advantage this week because I know a lot of Thais practice here. It is good that this event is being held here so it gives a lot of the local boys a bit of an advantage to try and keep their cards for next year.

This is a pretty scorable golf course, right in the middle of the city. The conditions are great and I think the key for this week will come down to putting.

I went to see my coach a couple of weeks back and have been making a lot of changes. Honestly last week I was just too focused on my swing changes and trying to settle into my new swing. I understand that practice takes time and tournament golf is the best practice you can have. So, I won’t put too much pressure on myself this week and follow the plan I have set for myself.