Prom comes of age in Royal tournament

Prom comes of age in Royal tournament.

WANCHAI RUJAWONGSANTI

Rookie Prom Meesawat enjoyed unforgettable moments at the Royal Trophy after securing a half point against Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke on the final day yesterday.

The "Giant Dolphin" made a big splash in his first appearance in the Europe v Asia competition at Amata Spring Country Club and received praise from fans and pundits for his overall performance.

Prom partnered his veteran compatriot Thongchai Jaidee to halve their four-ball match against England's Lee Westwood and Clarke on Saturday.

The burly young star who hails from the seaside resort town of Hua Hin _ hence the nickname "Giant Dolphin" _ made six birdies against Westwood and Clarke.

He "blamed" Thongchai's poor putting for their failure to get one full point against the formidable European pair.

Yesterday, Prom was 3 down after just four holes but rallied to move to 4 up after 14 holes. Clarke then staged his own comeback to erase the deficit and then "gave" the Thai a 20-foot putt on the last green.

"When I was three down after only four holes I felt I had to do something special or it would be a heavy beating. I fought back to lead, then Darren fought back, and it was very nice of him not to make me putt at the last hole," Prom said.

Prom had a forgettable start to his Royal Trophy debut when he teamed up with Japan's Tesuji Hiratsuka and lost 6&5 to Swedes Johan Edfors and Henrik Stenson in the foursomes on Friday.

But the next two matches became unforgettable for the 22-year-old, the youngest in the tournament.

"Playing against two of the best Ryder Cup players is an honour and a memorable experience," Prom said.

"It is hard to believe I played against Darren twice and managed to get a half both times. He is such a great player, a Ryder Cup hero, and someone who has won tournaments all over the world."

Prom vowed that Asia would try harder next year following their 121/2-31/2 defeat and hoped that they would defeat the strong Europeans in the near future.

"It is disappointing to lose so heavily as a team, but we have all got more experience from this week. We will all try even harder next year and hopefully one day soon we will beat this strong European team," he said.

Prom said his confidence has soared after the good display. He will next play in Qatar and finishing third on the Asian Tour Order of Merit last season gets him into the World Golf Championship in Doral in the US in March _ along with Thongchai and Asia's number one Jeev Milkha Singh of India.

"I will take a lot of confidence from this week. I want to show I can play outside Asia now," said the Thai who won his first Asian Tour title at the SK Telecom Open in South Korea last year.

"My aim this season is to keep my Japan Tour card. If I play well this year, I will give myself a try at the PGA Tour qualifying school."

Tony Meechai, director of instruction of Heartland Golf Schools, was impressed by Prom's performance.

"The way he went head to head with Clarke was impressive. He is a nice kid and has a good future," Tony said.

Suvit Suphabphol, who was among thousands of fans following Prom's group, said he was worried Prom could be a weak link in the Asian team but he proved that he had come of age.

Meanwhile, Tony said the Europeans were much more experienced and tightly-knitted with five of their players on the team that hammered the US in last year's Ryder Cup.

"They are used to this style of competition. They carried the momentum from the Ryder Cup," he said.

He also pointed out that the Asians missed too many short putts and probably felt under pressure playing before their "home" crowds.

"When the putts do not go in, the whole thing becomes a different issue," he said.

Asia now have lost twice in the Royal Trophy after falling to Europe 9- 7 in the inaugural encounter last year.

Despite the successive setbacks, Tony believe Asia can pull off a win in the near future.

"For Asia, it was brand new last year and learning time this year. Asians learn fast and it is possible that they will win next year," he said.

Bangkok Post
Monday January 15, 2007