Article provided by tournament promoters
A resurgent Prom Meesawat is looking to emulate his father's historic achievement by winning the 40th Singha Thailand Open in Phuket next month.
The beefy 24 year old has dreamed of victory since watching his father birdie the final hole at Army Golf Club in Bangkok to beat the likes of Vijay Singh and David Toms and become the first Thai to win his home Open in 1991.
The US$500,000 Singha Thailand Open makes a welcome return to the Asian Tour schedule after a three-year absence at Laguna Phuket Golf Club from March 5-8.
Prom, whose sole victory on the Asian Tour came at the 2006 SK Telecom Open, knows that he will always be judged on his performances in the Thailand Open given his father's success in the tournament.
''When my father is asked by one of my uncles or his friends how good I am at golf, he says that I still have to win the Thailand Open like him,'' said Prom, who is nicknamed the Big Dolphin.
''He is right. I still do not have the King's Trophy at home. It is the tournament every Thai golfer wants to win and I have more reasons to win it (than the others).''
At the age of six, Prom was on hand to watch the dramatic conclusion to the 1991 Thailand Open and his father's final hole heroics are still fresh in his memory.
''His second shot on 18 was amazing,'' recalled Prom. ''He drew the ball 30 yards around the trees to five feet and holed the birdie putt to win. Vijay Singh and David Toms played that year. It was a good field.
''I had already started playing golf at the time but I had not started thinking about winning the Thailand Open. But now I am thinking about winning the same tournament as my dad. That would be huge.''
Prom has competed in three Thailand Opens, with mixed success. He played as an amateur in 2003 and finished 10th behind winner Edward Loar of the United States but ended well down the leaderboard the following year.
He missed the cut the last time the event was staged in 2005 at Blue Canyon Country Club on Phuket.
A lot was expected of Prom after his breakthrough win in 2006 but he has yet to fulfill his potential, mainly due to problems with his putting.
He has worked hard on that area of his game and a joint third place finish in the season-opening Asian Tour International pointed to a change of fortune on the greens.
''I played a lot better at the Asian Tour International than for some time and my putting was good,'' said Prom, who was three strokes adrift of winner James Kamte of South Africa.
''I still need to work on my putting but it is better than last season when I struggled on the greens.''
Thailand Open Golf on Phuket: March 5-8
The return of big golf to Phuket is eagerly anticipated with a major sponsor now claiming naming rights to the four day event. Television coverage is expected to boost Phuket's attractions.
Thailand Open Golf on Phuket: March 5-8
A resurgent Prom Meesawat is looking to emulate his father's historic achievement by winning the 40th Singha Thailand Open in Phuket next month.
The beefy 24 year old has dreamed of victory since watching his father birdie the final hole at Army Golf Club in Bangkok to beat the likes of Vijay Singh and David Toms and become the first Thai to win his home Open in 1991.
The US$500,000 Singha Thailand Open makes a welcome return to the Asian Tour schedule after a three-year absence at Laguna Phuket Golf Club from March 5-8.
Prom, whose sole victory on the Asian Tour came at the 2006 SK Telecom Open, knows that he will always be judged on his performances in the Thailand Open given his father's success in the tournament.
''When my father is asked by one of my uncles or his friends how good I am at golf, he says that I still have to win the Thailand Open like him,'' said Prom, who is nicknamed the Big Dolphin.
''He is right. I still do not have the King's Trophy at home. It is the tournament every Thai golfer wants to win and I have more reasons to win it (than the others).''
At the age of six, Prom was on hand to watch the dramatic conclusion to the 1991 Thailand Open and his father's final hole heroics are still fresh in his memory.
''His second shot on 18 was amazing,'' recalled Prom. ''He drew the ball 30 yards around the trees to five feet and holed the birdie putt to win. Vijay Singh and David Toms played that year. It was a good field.
''I had already started playing golf at the time but I had not started thinking about winning the Thailand Open. But now I am thinking about winning the same tournament as my dad. That would be huge.''
Prom has competed in three Thailand Opens, with mixed success. He played as an amateur in 2003 and finished 10th behind winner Edward Loar of the United States but ended well down the leaderboard the following year.
He missed the cut the last time the event was staged in 2005 at Blue Canyon Country Club on Phuket.
A lot was expected of Prom after his breakthrough win in 2006 but he has yet to fulfill his potential, mainly due to problems with his putting.
He has worked hard on that area of his game and a joint third place finish in the season-opening Asian Tour International pointed to a change of fortune on the greens.
''I played a lot better at the Asian Tour International than for some time and my putting was good,'' said Prom, who was three strokes adrift of winner James Kamte of South Africa.
''I still need to work on my putting but it is better than last season when I struggled on the greens.''
Essential Reading
Thailand Open Golf on Phuket: March 5-8
The return of big golf to Phuket is eagerly anticipated with a major sponsor now claiming naming rights to the four day event. Television coverage is expected to boost Phuket's attractions.
Thailand Open Golf on Phuket: March 5-8
