Asian stars seek St. Andrews ticket

ST ANDREWS (SCOTLAND), JULY 16. The dramatic rise of Asian golf over last two years will be showcased at the British Open final qualifiers where 24 Asian PGA players vie for the tickets to famous St. Andrews course in the Scottish countryside.

While India's Jyoti Randhawa, Taiwan's Yeh Wei-Tze and Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand are the frontrunners for an estimated 50 remaining open slots at the four qualifying courses over next two days.

But the trio's efforts will be checked by former qualifiers - India's Gaurav Ghei, Mardan Mamat of Singapore and Korean Choi Kyung-Ju - apart from 480 other contestants who are aiming to get into the oldest golfing event, the British Open.

Confident among the lot is former Thai soldier Jaidee, who hopes to emulate countryman Prayad Marksaeng by qualifying to the open.

Jaidee, who led going into the final round of the Malaysian Open in February before falling away dramatically, has armed himself with mind-toughening advice from a sports psychologist.

Jaidee is using Wanchai Meechai as caddy who famously guided Marksaeng at the 1999 B.british Open at Carnoustie.

``Wanchai knows a lot about links courses and gold in Scotland as he has caddied for Prayad for the last three years in final qualifying for the British Open,'' said Jaidee.

``I am confident of qualifying but I will need a bit of luck. A bad bounce on this course and you can be in a lot of trouble,'' he said.

The Thai has been drawn in the same group as young Englishman Simon Dyson and Randhawa. Dyson has been in tremendous form recording back-to-back victories in the Macau open and Volvo China open on the Asian PGA circuit earlier this year.

Mamat on the other hand again hopes to revive his romance with the open at the final qualifying at Ladybank golf club. The 32- year-old Mamat, who qualified for Royal Troon in 1997 to become first Singaporean to play at the open, has been practising hitting low shots in his build-up for the final qualifying at the par-71 Ladybank.

``I've been hitting a lot of knock-down shots in the past one month as these type of shots are required here. I've also learned from past experience that you can't fight the wind, and have to just play along with it,'' Mamat said.

Apart from the qualifying tournaments, the open will feature the past champions challenge as a preceding event to the millennium championship.

At the age of 88, Sam Snead, the open champion of 1946, will be the oldest of the 22 past winners of the title to take part in the event.

Multiple winners Peter Thompson, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo will all be taking part. Between them the 22 champions have won the Open title 39 times.

The event will be played over the first two and last two holes on Wednesday with the past champs making up three or four-ball teams and play will feature best-ball format.

- PTI

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