Tour champion aims to sign off in style

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 07, 2017
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THE IN-FORM Parinda Phokan has her eyes firmly fixed on winning the next week’s tri-sanctioned Bt4 million PTT Thailand LPGA Masters to stamp her authority as the season-ending No1 player on the Thai LPGA tour.

This year’s final event, also sanctioned for the first time by the China LPGA and Australian LPGA tours, will take place at the Panya Indra Golf Club in Bangkok from Wednesday to Friday.
Parinda, who won her third title of the season in Rayong last week, is one of the heavy favourites to shine in a tournament which features 114 players – 40 from the Thai tour, 44 from China’s, 20 players from Australia’s and 10 invitation spots. 
Her total gross of Bt748,528 has guaranteed her top spot in the Thai LPGA’s 2017 Order of Merit and she attributes her impressive recent form to a change in her putting technique since July’s European Thailand Championship in Chonburi.


“It would be great to finish the year with another win next week,” the 20-year-old from Khon Kaen said yesterday. “I’ve never had good results here but after playing so well over the past several months I hope I can make a difference this time.”
Rising star Pajaree Anannarukarn and Budsabakorn Sukaphan, each with a title on the Tour this year, will also be in next week’s field. 
The 18-year-old Pajaree is using the tournament as a warm-up before taking part in the LPGA Q-School Stage 2 next month. She finished tied 5th in the first stage two weeks ago in California.
“After turning professional a few months ago, I finally changed my approach and I not so hard on myself going into a tournament. I’ve tried to chill out on the green and things are getting better. I will play care-free next week and be happy with the outcome,” said the teenager.
The tournament’s format is stroke-play over three roundsAfter two rounds, the top 50 and tied players will compete in Friday’s final round for the winning cheque of  BT 600,000.
Fans can watch live coverage on True Sport HD 2, from 1.30pm-4.30pm on Thursday and from 11.30-2.30 on Friday. 
You can buy three-day passes for just 100 baht at Panya Indra Golf Club on each day and entry is free entry for spectators aged under 18 and over 60.