Thaworn Wiratchant set to become the oldest Asian Tour Order of Merit winner
Thaworn Wiratchant of Thailand is set to become the oldest winner of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, after taking home his third title of the season, last week.
Wiratchant is enjoying the best form of his career on the Asian Tour and plans to continue his winning touch till the end of the 2012 season.
Last week, the 45-year-old leapfrogged to the top spot in the Order of Merit, after pocketing US$ 198,125 prize money that he received with a victory in the Hero Indian Open.
“It is nice to lead the Order of Merit and there are many big tournaments coming up,” he said. “I want to win it (Order of Merit) but it will depend on how I play in the next few events. I have a good chance of winning but I’ll need to continue my form”.
His total earnings for the year 2012 also rose to US$547,031, the amount is also better than his previous best earnings of US$ 510,123 in 2005.
Earlier this season, he stated that he never felt old. In fact, his game has improved with the passage of time. At that time, one could have easily ignored what he said.
However, no one can ignore his saying after witnessing the Thai star’s spectacular run so far. With a victory last week in India, he reached the 15-win mark, the highest by any player in the history of the Asian Tour.
Thongchai Jaidee is currently second in the list after winning 13 Asian Tour events. His last victory on the tour came in 2010, when he stunned his rivals at the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open.
Wiratchant is currently preparing himself for a strong challenge at the US$ 6.1 million CIMB Classic this week, at the Mines Resort and Golf Club in Malaysia.
The top contenders in the field include the 14-time major champion Tiger Woods and the defending champion Bo Van Pelt.
“I only aim to win when I play in any tournament. Every time I’m in the field, my only goal is to win. I have to admit that it is getting harder as I get older and the young players are so good now,” said Thaworn.
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