Thailand’s Poom Pattaropong claimed the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship two weeks ago, but there is always another winner there every year and that is the great man himself, Boonchu Ruangkit. We spoke to the five-time Asian Tour winner, and two-time Thailand Open champion, that week about his popular event – which is hosted on the All Thailand Golf Tour and normally co-sanctioned with the Asian Development Tour, except during seasons when coronavirus is prevalent.

How have you been during the pandemic, where were you, and did you play golf?

I have lived in Bangkok and Khao Yai (in Nakhon Ratchasima province). If the situation was not so good, I would stay in Khao Yai. Friends would come to visit me there and we played golf together very often.

Tournament host Boonchu Ruangkit in relaxed mode during a busy week. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

You must have been very relieved that you can stage your event this year and last year?

My tournament was postponed twice because of coronavirus. Today, I am extremely happy that I have done as I promised to the players. I remain committed to nurturing the future generation of Thailand’s professional golfers but admit that the COVID-19 crisis made this year’s edition the most challenging to organise.

Why did you first start the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship?

Thailand’s senior golfers have moved on to become legends, so we have to build the new generation. We should have tournaments for them to gain experience, help their income and give them the chance to attend international tournaments on the Asian Tour and Japan Tour.

My tournament is organised to allow young Thai players to sharpen their skills and pursue their careers on the international stage. I believe that our golfers are second to none and it is very important that we have an appropriate development programme for them, as well as a wealth of tournaments.

LPGA star Ariya Jutanugarn was in attendance. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

How happy have you been with the event’s progress?

The progress has been excellent and I am very happy with what we have achieved so far. I would like to thank all of our sponsors for their support this year, and every year. This year was particularly exciting as for the first time we had four women professional golfers and some celebrities attend the event. It certainly added some colour to the tournament, especially seeing the women compete with the male golfers; this would have been a great experience for them.

What have been the highlights for you over the years about your event?

Importantly, we have worked hard to make sure the tournament is international standard. You will see a players’ lounge, a LED display on the 18th green, and of course it is broadcast live on television and it is streamed live.

We want to ensure our players compete in an environment that is the same as when they play overseas. This will help them be more comfortable and confident when they compete in other countries.

My tournament can serve as a springboard for Thais to play in the global arena.

And of course, it has been great that the top players from Thailand complete in my event every year.

Boonchu said this year’s event was the most stressful edition. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

What are your long-term plans for the event?

We will have to see what happens with coronavirus, but we are confident the situation will improve.

I still want to make the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship an event where senior and young players can meet each other every year. It is a special situation.

However, much also depends on the continued support from our sponsors.

Is it hard work staging your own event?

It’s harder and harder to organise the tournament every year. This year it’s been really hard work, because of the coronavirus crisis. This year we had less sponsors compared with the previous year, but it is understandable in this climate especially for sponsors in sectors hardest hit. It has been a challenge, but we have been very determined to keep going.

During your playing career what do you think your greatest achievements were?

Every tournament was important for me and I did my best every time. Also, being the president of the Thailand PGA Tour and helping the development of professional golf in Thailand makes me very proud.  It is very rewarding to play a part in helping golfers, especially the youngsters, to play and develop their skills.

All precautions were taken to make sure the event was safe from COVID-19. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.

Do you miss those playing days?

Yes, I miss those playing days. When I see young golfers playing on the tour, I would like to join them but I’m too old now. Now I’m looking forward to playing on the Senior Tour in Thailand soon.

What was the secret to your great success when playing and winning?

Sponsors have been the secret to my career success. I would like to thank them for the support. They are behind my success. I would never be the person I am today without them.

Korea’s Wooksoon Kang is one of the Asian Tour’s greatest players. A two-time winner of the Order of Merit, he was the dominant player in the late 90s. We caught up with him last week, in Korea, and discovered that he is on-passing his gift for the game to the next generation of golfers in the Land of Morning Calm. 

Food is perhaps an appropriate subject to discuss first with Korean golf legend Wooksoon Kang.

Not because some kind of secret diet was behind a celebrated career that saw him win the Asian Tour Order of Merit title in 1996 and 1998, claim seven Asian Tour events, and 12 Korean Tour tournaments.

22 Feb 2001: Kang Wook-soon of Korea before he plays his second shot to the 4th green during the first round of The Caltex Singapore Masters being held at The Singapore Island Country Club, Singapore. X Digital Image. Mandatory Credit: Matt Turner/ALLSPORT

But rather quite the opposite, as it was widely reported that it was cuisine that partly led to the curtailment of his career.

To be more precise it was American, or western, food that quickly brought an end to his dream of playing on the PGA Tour.

In 2003, having swept all before him in Asia and having the claimed the last of his Asian Tour titles at the 2001 Thailand Masters, he chose to head to that most feared of golfing contests, the PGA Tour Qualifying School.

He made an impressive first appearance, making it through to the Final Stage and just missing his card by one stroke. Although it was not the result he was looking for, it gave him passage onto the lucrative second-tier Nationwide Tour.

South Korea’s Kang Wook-soon holds up the trophy after clinching the four-day 300,000 US dollar Hong Kong Golf Open with a two-stroke victory after firing a four-under-par final round 68, 29 November in Hong Kong. Kang held off England’s Edward Fryatt to finish with a 12-under-par total 272. AFP PHOTO/Robyn BECK (Photo by Robyn BECK / AFP) (Photo credit should read ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)

However, after playing six events, in 2004, he decided to pull up stakes and head home.

“There was a problem because of the food,” said the 54-year-old.

“I played for about six months in the first half of the year, and my score was good. But in America they have bread in the morning. It’s not easy to eat. I had a problem with my body.”

He said he prepared thoroughly for his attempt to play on the PGA Tour and that the courses were very good, but he desperately missed the tastes of home.

At one point he even tried to get his caddie to cook for him, but that was unsuccessful

“The caddie was a man, so it was not easy for him to cook well,” joked Kang.

After returning to Korea he claimed a couple of events on home soil before gradually winding down his playing career.

16 Feb 2001: Kang Wook-Soon of Korea plays his third shot to the 14th green during the second round of the Carlsberg Malaysian Open being held at Saujana Golf and Country Club, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. X Digital Image. Mandatory Credit: Matt Turner/ALLSPORT

So, how does the quiet and unassuming Korean spend his time these days?

He explains: “Last year, I participated in several tournaments on the KPGA Champions Tour but I’m no longer playing. Since 2017, I have focused on my academy – the Wooksoon Kang Golf Academy. It focuses on finding talented young people and potential CEOs. And I also commentate on golf competitions – more recently the Genesis Open and GS Caltex Maekyung Open – plus I appear on the air.”

He said that it has taken him 10 years to build his business, after overcoming some difficulties early on. He first secured the business in 2008, when he was competing in the SBS Johnnie Walker Blue Label Open.

“After hearing that I had won the business, I won that tournament,” he says.

Kang adds that he was influenced greatly by Kunhee Lee, the late Chairman of Samsung Group, and that his academy is not just a typical golf driving range and par-three course, but rather a ‘system of education’.

“Each year, 1,000 young people learn golf here. They come to learn golf through  educational organizations, local sports associations, and other associations. It is for Korean golf,” he says.

The Korean was on business in Vietnam in February of last year when coronavirus first broke out and by the time he had returned home soon after the situation had become serious.

“We could go to practice ranges as they complied with the government’s COVID-19 quarantine rule to stay 2.5 metres apart. But there were many days when indoor facilities, such as fitness centres, swimming pools, and saunas, were closed. Fortunately, as golf is an outdoor game it did not affect us too much,” he adds.

However, he does point out that when he does go for a round of golf, the culture has changed a lot, and he heads home immediately after, not stopping for a chat, shower or food.

Kang considers his finest win to be the Maekyung LG Fashion Open in 2000.

He beat Australian Kim Felton by one stroke in what is considered one of Korean golf’s Majors.

“The galleries were huge and the difficulty was very high. There was a difference in tension compared with other competitions, so I remember it the most,” he added.

And so, amongst all the highs during a sparking career, was the biggest disappointment?

“It was the 1996 Alfred Dunhill Masters [played at the Hong Kong Golf Club]. At that time, I had a neck-and-neck race with Bernhard Langer. I often faced Langer. I was defeated by him at that time and that is the most regrettable moment of my career.”

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee successfully defended his Malaysian Open crown on this day, 16 years ago.  Perhaps, more than any of his victories – to date he has claimed 13 on the Asian Tour, and eight on the European Tour – this event defined him as a player. We look back at those two memorable victories, both played at Saujana Golf & Country Club.

Thongchai Jaidee had already tasted victory on five occasions by the time he arrived at the Malaysian Open in 2004.

In fact, he had claimed the Myanmar Open the week beforehand – for the second time in his career – and so started the National Open of Malaysia as one of the favourites.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – FEBRUARY 22: Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand poses with the trophy for winning The Carlsberg Malaysian Open Golf at Saujana Golf and Country Club on February 22, 2004 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Ace Performance

He faced a formidable field as, for the fifth year on-the-trot, the tournament was jointly-sanctioned by the Asian and European Tours. Ireland’s Padraig Harrington – who was beaten in a play-off by Fijian Vijay Singh at the event three years before – Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, Irishman Paul McGinley and Sweden’s emerging young star Henrik Stenson, were some of the headline acts.

It was, no doubt, the quality of the field that helped contributed to Thongchai’s virtuoso performance.

That week, he created a piece of European Tour history when he became the first player from Thailand to win on the European Tour – the anniversary of which is on Monday, February 22 – with a two-stroke victory over Australian Brad Kennedy.

After struggling on the front nine on Sunday, he raced home in a blistering 30 strokes, highlighted by that most celebrated of golf shots – an ace on the par-three 16th.

He had been tied for the lead with three holes to play and magnificently rose to the challenge by spectacularly sinking a six iron from 188 yards, for the second ace of his professional career. A birdie on the last gave him a closing round of 68, four under par, for a 14 under par total winning total of 274.

Hs compatriots Prayad Marksaeng and Chawalit Plaphol, tied for third, four shots back, along with Frenchman Thomas Levet.

It was also Thongchai’s third win in six starts, as he also won the Volvo Masters of Asia at the end of 2003.

“It’s been my dream to play on the European Tour and now I will have to get used to life in Europe,” he said. “I’m looking forward to taking the opportunity to play alongside some of the best players in the world.”

The winners’ cheque of €158,153 (approximately US$191,000) was the largest of his career at the time, and he also became the sixth player from the Asian continent to win on the European Tour, along with India’s Arjun Atwal, Isao Aoki from Japan, Korean KJ Choi, Taiwan’s Yeh Wei-tze and Zhang Lian-wei from China.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – FEBRUARY 20: Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand with the trophy for winning The Carlsberg Malaysian Open at Saujana Golf Resort on February 20, 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Back-to-back brilliance

The circumstances of his victory the following year were somewhat more relaxed, as he started the final round with a six-shot lead and eventually triumphed by three, but there were a few anxious moments when Stenson and India’s Jyoti Randhawa, the closest challengers, sensed an opening.

Thongchai bogeyed the ninth and then drove out of bounds with a hooked drive on the 11^th; but he steadied the ship with his second ball: holing from eight feet to drop just the one stroke and maintain a two-stroke advantage.

At that stage most of the pressure was coming from Stenson who was making huge strides into the seven shot deficit he faced at the start of the round. Four birdies on the front nine closed the gap to three and his birdie on the 11th left him only two adrift.

But 13 lived up to its tag and proved unlucky. Pressing for an eagle three, Stenson misjudged the wind and pulled his seven iron approach. His ball ended up sitting on top of the rocks by the edge of the water and, in attempting to nick it clean off the stone, the clubhead bounced and he only moved the ball forward a few feet. His next chip ran 10 feet past and, to his astonishment, the par putt stayed out.

Thongchai, playing in the final group behind Stenson, responded with a birdie on that hole: pitching to within a couple of feet to restore his four-shot cushion over the Swede.

Thongchai’s closing 70 gave him a winning total of 21-under-par total of 267 – three clear of Randhawa, with Stenson a further shot adrift.

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA – FEBRUARY 20: Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand plays his tee shot on the 15th hole during the final round of The Carlsberg Malaysian Open at Saujana Golf Resort on February 20, 2005 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

The Thai star’s win saw him join a select group of players to have won the event back-to-back, the others being: Australian Graham Marsh (1974-75), and Japan’s Tomo Ishii (1964-65).

It also earned him a cheque for €156,763 (approximately US$190,000) and it was his seventh Asian Tour victory, placing him alongside Korea’s Wooksoon Kang as the most prolific winners on the Asian Tour at the time.

“This feels fantastic,” said Thongchai. “This win is better than last year. I just told myself to play my own game. The driver didn’t work well for me today but the irons worked nicely.”

Thongchai would go onto to win another 10 titles on Tour after that and complete his place among the greats of Asian golf

We asked Myanmar legend Kyi Hla Han, who turns 60-years-old today, nine questions about his unparalleled 25-year playing career.

Favourite tournament?

My career spanned 25 years. In the early 90’s the Johnnie Walker Classic was one of the best tournaments in Asia. It was played on really good courses with top-class star players and the atmosphere of the event was incredible. The same goes with tournaments in Australia – like the Australian Open and Australian Masters. It was fun to play in Melbourne.

In Asia in the last 15 years, the Singapore Open, the Maybank Championship and the Hong Kong Open are my favourite events; they are played on really good courses and the events have a great atmosphere.

Favourite course?

I don’t have a real favourite but I prefer the old traditional layouts. During my career I was fortunate to play the Sandbelt courses in Melbourne; Kingston Heath and Royal Melbourne are, in particular, my favourites. Especially the way the holes are designed, the bunkering, and the fact they test shot making. They don’t favour a particular kind of shot, you need to play all kinds of shots. Even in recent times the scores were not low on those courses, which shows that power doesn’t come into play. The same would apply to great Open courses like Muirfield, Carnoustie, Royal Birkdale etc. I would love to have played US Opens on traditional layouts like Winged Foot, Baltusrol, Marion etc

Closer to home, Sentosa’s Serapong Course is right up there, as is the Composite Course at the Hong Kong Golf Club ― used during the Hong Kong Open ― plus Delhi Golf Club and Royal Calcutta, come to mind. There are a lot of good courses in Thailand too.

(Photo by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour via Getty Images)

You won 12 times during your career. Which one did you enjoy the most?

My best win would be the 1999 Volvo China Open. It was raining and windy all four days and I won by eight shots. My father walked with me for all four days in that weather and he was 75-years-old! After that win I played well all year and won the Asian Tour Order Of Merit. The 1994 Singapore Open at Tanah Merah and the 1997 Rolex Singapore Masters at SICC Bukit were also memorable, and ironically I’m living in Singapore now!

Best thing about being a Tour pro?

I had wanted to be a pro golfer since I was 10 years old. I’ve been very fortunate to pursue a sport that I loved. Traveling all over the world, meeting new people, making so many friends, and playing a lot of great tournaments and golf courses. I was the only Asian playing in Europe in the 80s and in Australia. I cherish those moments. And, now that I have stopped playing, I reflect on those moments all the time.

I played in Europe for about five years. When I didn’t get into the main tour events I played the tours in Sweden and France, Germany and Italy. There wasn’t a structured Challenge tour in those days. In those days we kind of made up our own tour and a lot of players just travelled together. In the summer I played in Europe and then in October I went to Australia. And then I played the old Asian Tour from February to April. Without any centralized circuit we played around the world. Pretty much most of the players did the same thing.

I tried the US PGA Tour Q School five times, and got to the finals but never really got my card. I could have stayed there more, and played mini tours, but I decided the best thing was to play around the world. Maybe I was just burnt out by the time I played in their Q School in September/October. That was a disappointment but I have had a lot of enjoyment from being a Tour pro.

(Photo by Stanley Chou/AFP via Getty Images)

Most nervous you have been on the course?

The first tee shot at St Andrews in the 2000 Open Championship, and  also the first tee shot playing with Tiger Woods in the 2000 Johnnie Walker Classic at Alpine, in Bangkok. The first tee shot was nerve-racking, but after that I was okay. Thinking back, it’s those nervous moments that I cherish. I miss the competition and playing with a lot of pressure, even if your heart is beating like crazy and your palms are sweaty … it’s what I miss.

What do you consider is the best shot of your career?

I really remember the drive I hit on the last hole of the 1994 Singapore Open at Tanah Merah. I had a one-shot lead and I knew if I hit a good drive I’d be ok.  I was really nervous but I hit the longest and straightest drive of the four days. The first three days I had a four or five iron in for my second on that hole but I had an easy seven on the last day. I used a Callaway Big Bertha – they had just come out – and a Titleist balata 90. I used that ball because it was soft, it didn’t go far, but with my irons I got a lot of control, I like to work the ball.

Worst shot of your career?

I shanked a shot playing with Tiger Woods in the 2000 Johnnie Walker Classic. That was probably the most embarrassing because it was a par five at Alpine. It was over water and I hit a great second shot just over the green and was looking at a birdie; it was an easy chip but I shanked it and I made six.

And, there was once in Australia when I was leading a tournament and I had a two-shot lead going into the last day. The first hole was a par five and I hit my second 10 yards short of the green but I basically just chunked my third and made six, and pretty much didn’t have a good round.

(Photo by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour/Asian Tour via Getty Images)

Your best ever putt?

It wasn’t through putts that I won tournaments, there wasn’t a key putt. I remember the putt I made on 17 in the Korean Open in 1999, I was going head-to-head with KJ Choi. I was one behind and I had a 30-footer downhill that was almost impossible to make, but I holed it to put some pressure on him and to go one back into the last hole. I hit a great shot into 10 feet on the last but I missed it and I lost by a shot.

And the same year in the Taiwan Open I was one behind, and I made a 20-footer on the last hole to put pressure on Wooksoon Kang, but he made a 20-footer on top of me to win by one.

I made those putts when I really needed them; I still think about those putts. I was using the broom handle putter then ― I had switched in 1996 ― and I am still using that putter today. It’s in my bag; they don’t make them anymore.

Who is your favourite golfer?

I grew up admiring Jack Nicklaus. My father was a big fan of Jack and he gave that book Golf My Way by Jack Nicklaus. I basically learned a lot from that book. I was 10 years old and that book was my bible. I met Jack at the 2013 Presidents Cup, when it was held at his course Muirfield Village in Ohio. I was Chairman of the Asian Tour, and I got to have lunch with him. I told him that I learned golf from his book and he said he’d give me another one with his signature on it!

Nowadays it would be Tiger Woods. When I played with him in 2000, I could see that there would not be a player like him for a long time.

Han in action during the Johnnie Walker Hongkong Open in 1989. (Photo by Chu Ming-hoi/South China Morning Post via Getty Images).

Former Asian Tour number one Liang Wen-chong, from China, has called for “everyone to work together to fight off the pandemic”, and has taken a safe and sensible approach to the life-changing developments caused by COVID-19.

Speaking from his home in Hengdian, Zhejiang Province, China ― where he is currently celebrating the Lunar New Year with family and friends ― he said: “In what has been a season of rest, for most of last year, I told myself to stay positive. The pandemic is something that will catch you off guard, but it has since become a norm for most. What we need to do is to adapt to it and make changes to our daily lives.

“It’s a new knowledge, so we need to have patience and face it with determination. Everyone needs to work together to fight off the pandemic, hoping life will return to usual in the near future.

(Photo by Arep Kulal/Getty Images)

“Thanks to this pandemic, I have learned how important it is to stay physically fit. Regular exercise can improve your resistance to virus. Therefore, golf is a good option too.”

The 42-year-old played in the Asian Tour events at the start of last year, before the pandemic hit, and was able to compete in a couple of events in Japan, at the end of the year.

“The pandemic affected all golfers and Tours; schedules were changed; tournaments were postponed or suspended. I can only stay at home when there are no tournaments to play. It was back to playing my role as a father and doing my best to adhere to all safety measures.”

 Liang has enjoyed a decorated career, to date.

He succeeded his mentor Zhang Lian-wei ―China’s pioneering first world-class player ― by recording achievements after achievements, including: winning three times on the Asian Tour; claiming two titles in Japan; becoming the first player from the mainland to compete in the US PGA Championship; and, at the Open in 2008, becoming the first Chinese golfer to make the cut at a Major.

(Photo by Zhe Ji/Getty Images)

It was in 2007 when he won the Asian Tour Order of Merit title, the first player from China to achieve that feat. That year he also claimed the Singapore Masters ― which was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the European Tour, and meant he became the second golfer from China to win on the European Tour, after Zhang.

“In this brand new 2021, I hope to return to the golf course for more tournaments and obtain good results,” added the Chinese star.

“My long-term goal in golf is to try and prolong my golfing career for as long as I can; maintain my competitiveness on the golf course; and at the same time, do my best in promoting and developing the game across the region.”

It is hard to believe that it was on this day 24 years ago when American Tiger Woods took Bangkok by storm and claimed the Asian Honda Classic at Thai Country Club, just outside Bangkok.

The region had rarely witnessed such a sporting occasion and the world’s media turned out in full force to cover his every move.

The young American had arrived in the Thai capital to much pomp and ceremony and at times frenzied excitement.

(Credit: Richard Castka/Sportfive)

He had competed in Thailand once before ― as an amateur in the 1994 Johnnie Walker Classic at Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket ― but this was the first time he was playing there as a professional.

Aged 21 years old he was accompanied by his mother, Kultida, who grew up 70 miles north of Bangkok; she proudly chaperoned him throughout the week.

He was also surrounded by tight security during the trip ― which was much needed amid wild welcoming scenes at Don Muang airport.

Having only just turned professional the year before, he had already claimed three titles on the PGA Tour, although at this point he had not won Major.

Woods cruised to a 10-shot victory in the US$300,000 event; which also saw Australian Steve Elkington, Frank Nobilo from New Zealand and American Curtis Strange competing.

(Credit: Richard Castka/Sportfive)

He shot rounds of 70-64-66-68 for a brilliant four-round aggregate of 20-under-par 268; Korean Mo Joong Kyung secured second place.

He treated the fans to a level of golf they had never seen before, including driving the 389-yard par-four 10th hole during the third round.

It was a stunning performance, with his helicopter rides to and from the course adding to the spectacle.

Thousands of fans chanted his name as he walked down the 18th fairway on Sunday.

After the win, Tiger said: “Winning is great, but to win here in Thailand is something special. This is like home to me.”

(Credit: Richard Castka/Sportfive)

“I knew my swing wasn’t working well,” added Woods. “I made some bad shots out there, but I made some key putts and that’s what wins golf tournaments.”

Woods, who earned a cheque for US$48,000, had five birdies during the final round and nearly eagled the fourth hole. He had a bogey on the 17th hole when his drive sliced into the water.

Two months later he was to go on and win the US Masters for the first time ― by the incredible margin of 12 shots ― and commence a career that would see him win 15 Majors and 82 PGA Tour titles.

But few will forget how things began for him during that unforgettable week at the Asian Honda Classic ― nearly a quarter of a century ago.