Thongchai the brave

Thailand’s leading golfer Thongchai Jaidee braved the testing conditions by posting a one-under-par 71 at Thailand Golf Championship to give himself a good chance of another grandstand finish on home soil.

Here’s what our Black Mountain sponsored player had to say about his second round and playing at The Open Championship in St. Andrews next year.

By Thongchai Jaidee

“I started my front-nine very well and then the wind started picking up on a couple holes today. I think the course is playing difficult. I mean the rough is very thick and the green is very firm, that’s why you can see the score is very high. If one guy play three-under it is a very good round.

I expect that three-under will be a very, very good score today. If you went in the rough, the ball is dead. It is very difficult today.

When you play under-par you’re in good position. On the eighth hole I double bogeyed. It was very tough on hole eight today. You see today the wind is picking up and it is going to be very hard for them in the afternoon.

For me I played many times in St. Andrews, for me I automatically get in already, I think its St. Andrews is the best- for me you know it is a great memory for me. I play many times at St. Andrews because we play the Dunhill Links out there every year, and so we know the course quite well.

On the course you have to learn a lot of wind direction and the green is very big, you can get on the green very easy, but you have to know what place you have to be.

For me the links course is not my favourite course, but you know I like to play everywhere. And I think I missed the cut last time because we had really bad weather and we had the wrong side of the draw.

You know you have to have the right side of the draw otherwise it will help you maybe one or two shot.”