Ghei, Gangjee aim to secure Asian Tour card
By IANSTuesday, December 1, 2009
KHON KAEN - Indian golfer Chinnaswamy Muniyappa, who has had the best season of his life, while winning the Hero Honda Indian Open, would be looking to finish the year with another win while Gaurav Ghei and Rahil Gangjee without wins for a long time will hope to end the drought at the King’s Cup this week.
Other Indians in the field include Anirban Lahiri, third at the Hero Honda Indian Open, Digvijay Singh and Himmat Rai, all of whom have already secured their Asian Tour cards for 2010. The other challengers include Vikrant Chopra, Harmeet Kahlon, Baaz Mann and Manav Jaini.
A win in the event could get them a two-year exemption.
Ghei is lying 67th on the Order of Merit, and could just make the top-65 with some above him not having played minimum events. But he would surely like to make it comfortable with a good finish here.
Gangjee in 63rd place is slightly better but a good finish will make it less tense in the last event.
Asias top two stars Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, who has already secured the 2009 Order of Merit crown and Chinese stalwart Liang Wen-chong, second in the rankings, will headline the $300,000 King’s Cup, which is making its Asian Tour debut.
Other top names who will vie for the King’s Cup at the Singha Park Khon Kaen Golf Club are Thailands Thaworn Wiratchant and Chapchai Nirat, Singapores Lam Chih Bing and Muniyappa.
Asian Tour rookies Mark Purser of New Zealand and Matthew Griffin of Australia are also fighting to secure their spots in Asia as they lie in 60th and 64th position respectively.