Order of Merit winner Prayad Marksaeng was yesterday named the 2013 All Thailand Tour’s Player of the Year.
Prayad Marksaeng, second left, Atiwit Janewattananond, third right, and Kanpanitnan Khammuangsakul, second right, with their awards.
The 48-year-old was recognised for his great performance on the tour last year, when he triumphed at the Bangkok Open and the E-san Open en route to winning the money title with 1.3 million baht.
He also won at OneAsia’s Thailand Open and the Asian Tour’s King’s Cup and Queen’s Cup.
Kanpanitnan Khammuangsakul, 15, from Khon Kaen was the Order of Merit winner in the women’s category.
The Rookie of the Year award went to Atiwit ‘Jazz’ Janewattananond, who won the All Thailand Championship.
The 18-year-old also finished third on the money list with 885,495 baht and 30th on the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.
The tour yesterday announced its 2014 schedule which will kick off at the E-san Open in Khon Kaen later this month. In its 16th year, the tour will sanction 10 tournaments this season with a total purse of about 30 million baht.
Four of the events are also co-sanctioned by the Asean PGA Tour. The final
tournament will be the five-million baht Singha Masters, to be held at Santiburi Country Club in Chiang Rai from Jan 29-Feb 1.
New golfers will get a chance to play in the main tournament through a challenge event held earlier.
All Thailand Tour official Sruang Chantaraurai said that over the years, the tour had continuously grown and been increasingly recognised by players.
“Our growth can be witnessed from not only the number of golfers but also the sponsors,” he said, adding that working with the Asean PGA Tour means players have more chances to play on the international stage.
To promote the sport throughout the country, tournaments will be held in seven provinces, including Khon Kaen, Lop Buri, Chiang Rai and Chachoengsao.