Field of champions set for Singha Thailand Open

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Talented Korean duo Choi Jinho and Moon Kyongjun and Wu Ashun of China, winners of the opening three tournaments on the 2015 OneAsia schedule, will bid for more glory at next week’s Singha Corporation Thailand Open.

They are amongst a host of champions who will tee it up in the OneAsia/Japan Golf Tour Organisation joint-sanctioned US$1 million event at Siam Country Club’s Plantation Course in Pattaya from June 11-14.

Choi Jinho, winner of last month’s SK Telecom Open in South Korea, will be one of the star names appearing at the 2015 Singha Thailand Open championship. (Photo/OneAsia Golf)Choi Jinho, winner of last month’s SK Telecom Open in South Korea, will be one of the star names appearing at the 2015 Singha Thailand Open championship. (Photo/OneAsia Golf)

Prayad Marksaeng clinched the Thailand Open title when the tournament was last played in 2013, becoming just the third Thai to savour victory in its storied decades-long history.

Choi, Moon and Wu will be joined in the elite field by fellow OneAsia winners Matthew Griffin and Kim Bi-o, both former number ones, Park Junwon, Kim Daesub, Steve Jeffress, Nick Cullen, Daniel Popovic, Scott Strange and Thaworn Wiratchant.

Victory in last month’s SK Telecom Open saw Choi, who was playing just his third tournament since finishing 20 months of national service, leap to the top of OneAsia’s money list with US$192,118 in winnings.

He is closely followed by GS Caltex Maekyung Open winner Moon who has banked US$180,995 so far this season.  Moon, a late bloomer, overcame a panic disorder that threatened his career to win his first OneAsia title at the notoriously difficult Namseoul Country Club.

Wu, the first Chinese to win on the Japan Tour, created a buzz in April when he won the European Tour co-sanctioned Volvo China Open at Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club.  He was just the third Chinese player to win his national Open and the first to lift a European Tour title on home soil.

The 45th staging of the Thailand Open, one of the region’s most prestigious events, will be title sponsored by Singha Corporation with major co-sponsors Mercedes-Benz, Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation (SMBC), Emirates Airline and the Siam@Siam Design Hotel Pattaya also on board.

“To be able to announce Singha Corporation as title sponsor of the Thailand Open is a great day for us.  We are renowned for being at the forefront of golf sponsorship in Thailand and so to be able to title sponsor our national Open gives us a sense of completion,” said Kittisak Chaimongkoltrakul, Director of Customer Relations from Singha Corporation and Advisor to the President of Thailand Golf Association (TGA).

Note: No tickets are required for spectators and entrance is free of charge for the duration of the event.