Thongchai

Jaidee

At first, things looked bleak for Thongchai Jaidee as he stumbled his way into the second half of the qualifying stage. Only 2-under after two rounds of play, the Asian Tour legend knew he had to flip it in gear if he wanted to find his way into the top five by the end of the stage. That he did as Jaidee played his final 36-holes in 12-under courtesy of rounds of 63-67. His round of 8-under 63 on Friday was good for the low round of the stage and was critical towards his qualifying efforts. Finishing the week at 14-under alongside David Branshaw, Jaidee fell three-strokes off the pace of Rob Labritz, but successfully locked up his spot on the PGA Tour Champions in 2022.

This time last year something peculiar happen in the mountains: Jaidee missed a cut. He pegged two laps of 75 and came nowhere near the weekend which was in complete contrast to his previous visits. Indeed, he’d made nine of them and always played Saturday and Sunday. In that log book he owns three top tens so he’s far from a perfect match, but the last of those was in 2017 when T9 so it’s not a distant trait. His form is a worry. He was T9 at the Trophee Hassan II, but since then hasn’t made a top 30 in seven tries and was last seen missing cuts in the Irish and Scottish Opens.

In windy conditions at Oitavos Dunes, the Thais led from the start after a big drive from Khongwatmai set up an opening birdie. Before today’s last-eight clash, Thailand were the only team not to have made a bogey but their first of the week cost them the third hole. However, Scotland returned the favor at the fourth and the Scots pair of Stephen Gallacher and David Law also took five swishes at the fifth hole to confirm Thailand as 3-1 winners. The winners face Spain or Australia in the last four.

Such was the balance of the group that had Irish duo Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan won that sixth hole, the holders would have gone through with a draw with the Thais crashing out. Instead, Sweden pinched second spot at the expense of Ireland with victory over England Women. Thailand, who had drawn their first two matches, trailed to an Irish birdie at No. 2 but won the next two with birdie-par. It was all to play for at the sixth hole and, after Phachara Khongwhatmai had threatened the hole with his tee shot, 49-year-old Jaidee came up with a hole-in-one to give Thailand a 3-1 victory and top spot in the group on holes won.

The Thai has made the cut 14 times in 16 starts at Doha GC, twice finishing tied ninth and scoring the most recent of his seven other top 25s with T20 in 2016. Jaidee has been a stalwart of the European Tour but having cracked the top 100 on the Race to Dubai every year since 2004 he finally lost that record when 120th in 2018. But let’s not write him off just yet. Jaidee has made four starts this season and already has a pair of top 20s to his name, a T14 in the Hong Kong Open and T18 at last week’s Oman Open thanks to a closing 69. Current report: He still remains a viable cheap option.

A 19th visit to the Majlis Course at the Emirates GC in the U.A.E. for Jaidee and remarkably his lowest Thursday lap, besting his 67 in 2007. It also equalled his career low round on the track; the previous 66, in 2010’s second round, also earned him the lead, albeit on his own. He looked set to achieve that again as he stood on the par-5 18th tee two shots clear of the chasers, but he made a double bogey-7 to share the lead with Sergio Garcia, Bryson DeChambeau, Kalle Samooja, Matthieu Pavon and Scott Hend. Before the mistake he had been superb. Three times he ticked back-to-back birdies, at 2 and 3, 6 and 7, then 10 and 11. More gains came at 13 and 17 before the final hole soured the taste of lunch.

The Thai veteran struggled on the front nine, making one birdie against two late bogeys, but then burst into life on the back nine, ticking three in a row at the 11th, 12th and 13th, then adding another at the 16th. So much good work done and then frustration with an 18th hole bogey. Nonetheless he can look forward to the week and has great reason to do so. This is his 16th visit to the course and he has amassed no less than 12 top 25s in that time. What he has struggled to do is contend. Only four times has he been top ten heading into the final circuit and only four times, also, has he managed a top ten by week’s end, with a best of second in 2007. A welcome return to form beckons: He last tasted a top ten in May’s BMW PGA Championship.

Doug Ferguson of the Associated Press reported the news on Twitter. Jaidee carded a 3-over-par 37-36=73 in his opener. Consider him a question mark for next week’s PGA Championship.

Since that victory, Jaidee went on to play in the British Open where he tied for 77th after closing with an 8-over-par 78. He last teed it up at Firestone Country Club in 2009 and tied for 60th.

This is a fair effort from a guy that had to withdraw after one round in Akron last week due to a sprained ankle. At the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island today, Jaidee offset three birdies with four bogeys.