Thai ace Thongchai earns PGA Tour Champions card

Thai ace Thongchai earns PGA Tour Champions card

Back in the saddle: Thongchai Jaidee has earned a PGA Tour Champions card for the 2022 season. (AFP photo)
Back in the saddle: Thongchai Jaidee has earned a PGA Tour Champions card for the 2022 season. (AFP photo)

TAMPA: Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee regained his PGA Tour Champions card by finishing tied second in the final stage of the qualifying tournament at TPC Tampa Bay on Friday.

The Asian golf legend closed with a final round of four-under-par 67 to finish three shots behind Rob Labritz, who fired a bogey-free 64 to top the class with his 17-under 267 total.

David Branshaw carded a 68 to finish alongside Thongchai while Roger Rowland and Tom Gillis also became exempt into open, full-field events for the 2022 PGA Tour Champions (senior tour) season after finishing fourth and fifth.

Thongchai and Branshaw shared runner-up honours at 14 under before the Thai birdied the first play-off hole (No.10) to earn the No.2 spot.

"I performed well this week," Thongchai said. "I'm putting very well. Everything is better than it was earlier this year. Hopefully I can keep it going."

Two years ago, Thongchai earned his playing rights on PGA Tour Champions from the qualifying school but the Covid-19 pandemic dashed his hopes of performing well in the over-50 circuit as he missed a large portion of the 2020-21 season due to travel restrictions that kept him in Thailand.

He did finish strongly at the end of the recent season with two successive top-10 finishes.

"It feels great. I played a solid round, was solid all week and I've now got back my tour card. Hopefully next year will be a lot better than this year. Covid affected everything and shut things down. It was very difficult for everyone," he said.

"In my last two tournaments, I finished top-five and top-10 and it brought my confidence back. I worked very hard before coming over here.

"It's difficult to get the five cards and I'm happy I did it."

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