Thai youths will be given more chances and participation in the next editions of the CIMB Classic tournament.
Chalisa Limpipolpaibul and her younger brother Thaya (right) with Tiger Woods yesterday.
Through the activities run by Chang Beverages, 20 Thai youth and golf amateurs were eligible to witness and, for someone, to play the pro-am even at the US$6.1 million tournament sanctioned by PGA Tour and Asian Tour.
As the official beverage partner of the tournament, Chang hopes to get more seats for the young ones to experience both on and off the golf course.
"We are more successful than the first two years," said Surapol Utintu, executive director of ThaiBev Thai Talent project. "However, we can improve from this. More golf activities will be organised with more participants."
Established in 2006, the ThaiBev Thai Talent project aims to help the youth in different fields such as music, golf and football. There are 12 youth golfers under the project.
This year, three activities featuring Chang Golf Day, Chang TAT Thailand AM Tour, and Chang Junior PGA Golf Clinic were used as a qualifying event where more than 2000 people participated. As for the golf clinic where the best three golfers are picked to watch golf in Malaysia, Suraphol said that next year, the selected ones must share the experiences with the rest after witnessing the game: "They should go back and tell their friends what we learn from the tournament."
Asked if the company wants to have its own tournament, Suraphol said that it was better to be a part of cultivating the golfers and promoting golf in the country. Chang spent more than 150 million baht as a five-year official beverage partner of the CIMB Classic.