Wisut Artjanawat sets out as spearhead of a crack Philippine Golf Tour Asia contingent bracing for a fierce duel with the top guns of PGA of Taiwan (TPGA), eyeing no less than a sweep of the two PGTA events in Taiwan in the Nan Pao TPGA Open beginning Thursday (Sept. 26) in Tainan City.
The Thai veteran overcame a huge six-shot deficit in the final round and beat local ace Song Mengyu by two in the Daan TPGA Open in Taichung last May, breaking the Taiwanese domination of the annual event while earning the tag as winner of the first PGT Asia event held overseas.
Though he struggled to finish joint 31st in the last PGT Asia tournament at Aboitiz Invitational at Wack Wack three weeks ago after a tied for eighth effort at Manila Southwoods last July, the 33-year-old Artjanawat hopes to put it all together again this week in a bid to dominate the Taiwan tournaments in the third season of the region’s emerging circuit put up by ICTSI.
As frontrunner in the PGTA Order of Merit derby, Artjanawat also heads a talent-laden roster of PGTA campaigners in the $100,000 event co-sanctioned by TPGA and Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., including No. 3 Namchok Tantipokhakul, No. 7 Teemu Putkonen of Finland, No. 8 Kammalas Namuangruk and ninth-ranked Tony Lascuña.
Like Artjanawat, Tantipokhakul is gunning for a second PGTA win this year after ruling the kickoff leg at Luisita last April with Piya Swangarunporn, Poosit Supupramai, Pasavee Lertvilai, Ratchapol Jantavara, Panuwat Muenlek, Atthaphon Sriboonkaew, Sutijet Kooratanapisan, Natthapoing Niyomchon, Peradol Panyathanasedh, Tawit Polthai, Puk Pradittan, Bouahom Thammasack, Choowong Wongsakorn and Sakulyong Pachara completing the big Thai cast in the 72-hole championship backed by PLDT Enterprise, Meralco, BDO and PGT Asia official apparel Pin High.
Aussie David Gleeson, who topped the PGTA Luisita Championship last year but has had a string of so-so finishes, is also aiming for a top finish in the event serving as the fifth leg of the PGTA and sixth stop of TPGA, along with Canadian Lindsay Renolds, Zhuang Dahong of Brazil, South African Luke Trocado, Korean Shin Seung Woo, Abiel Lim of Singapore and another Pinoy entry Jay Bayron, who tied for 27th in Daan TPGA Open.