Golf: Thongchai Jaidee aims to round off great year with spot in European Tour's top 10

Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand acknowledges the crowd after a putt on the 17th hole during the BMW Shanghai Masters golf tournament at the Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, on Oct 27, 2013. Thongchai said today that it would be one of the p
Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand acknowledges the crowd after a putt on the 17th hole during the BMW Shanghai Masters golf tournament at the Lake Malaren Golf Club in Shanghai, on Oct 27, 2013. Thongchai said today that it would be one of the proudest moments of his life if he could finish a remarkable year inside the European Tour's top 10. -- FILE PHOTO: AFP
Published
Oct 29, 2013, 9:19 pm SGT

SHANGHAI (AFP) - Thai Thongchai Jaidee said today that it would be one of the proudest moments of his life if he could finish a remarkable year inside the European Tour's top 10.

He heads into this week's US$8.5 million (S$10.5 million) World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions in Shanghai playing the most consistent golf of his long career after sharing second place in the US$7 million BMW Masters on Sunday.

The golfer, who turns 44 next week, passed one million euros (S$1.7 million) in earnings for the third time on the European Tour by tying on 10-under par with Francesco Molinari behind winner Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano at Lake Malaren.

More significantly for Thongchai, it catapulted him to sixth place from 21st in the Race to Dubai standings.

The five-time European Tour winner is on course for his best year, despite not winning in 2013.

Now his goal is to stay in the top 10 and grab a share of the US$3.75 million bonus pool on offer at the end of the season, which culminates with the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai next month.

This year has brought him seven top-10 finishes but he was controversially overlooked by captain Nick Price for the Internationals Team at the Presidents Cup last month.

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