02/09/2025
Thongchai Jaidee - Will We See Another Like Him?
Thongchai Jaidee - what a star and what an incredible ambassador for Asia on the global golf arena!
Starting late in life after a tour of duty as a paramilitary fighter in the Thai Army, Thongchai took up the game of golf. This writer first met him in 1964 in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia and Thongchai who, spoke very little English then, was a quiet and reclusive man. Who would have ever thought that this Thai golfer would one day bust out and become one of Asia's very best and Southeast Asia's all-time Super Golf Great! But he did and that's how he will be remembered!
So, will we ever see another Thongchai Jaidee? Sadly, ASIAN GOLF does not think so!
The Asian Tour, the proving ground for Asian professional golfers just does not provide enough opportunities for Asian players to cut their teeth in the sport to become world class. If you asked them, the Asian Tour will vehemently deny this, and that's their right.
There was a time when Asian Tour watchers felt that Asian players were in for a bonanza after the muscle-packed Saudi Arabians through their Golf Saudi, dumped a huge windfall of US$100 million into the Asian Tour's coffers. All observers thought that this would see a rapid development of the Tour's platform being transformed into a formidable stage for Asian players to grow and aim for the stars. Sorry, in the years that have passed, all that we have seen is the tour remaining as a laggard with little or no growth in its calendar of tournaments.
If anything at all, it seems that the Saudi's LIV Golf League players use the Asian Tour to rake in valuable points for Official World Golf Rankings - guys like Carlos Ortiz and Patrick Reed to mention a few! Why so? Because the LIV Golf League has still not been qualified for ranking points by the OWGR - hence the use of the Asian Tour (which is recognised) to get in through the back door!
You get the message!
Anyway, back to the story about Thongchai. This is why we do not see anyone, anytime soon, matching his incredible track record. He is the best, will be the best and go down in history as our supreme best!
We have hoisted him up to the top of the rarified atmosphere of the Pinnacle Of Golf where he rightfully deserves to be.
The ex-paratrooper holds the record for the most career earnings and is second in victories having won 13 times on the Asian Tour. He has won the Order of Merit on the Asian Tour three times during his career and was the the first man to win US$2 million, US$3 million, US$4 million, and US$5 million on the Asian Tour in prize money.
Added to this superb record, he became the first Thai to win a tournament on the European Tour by winning the Carlsberg Malaysian Open, an event which was co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour. In 2005, he successfully defended his Malaysian Open title.
In 2006 he received a special invitation to play in the Masters Tournament. He was the second Thai to play in the Masters after Sukree Onsham, who did so in 1970 and 1971, and by doing so, he became the first Thai to play in all four major championships.
After his victory in the Volvo Masters of Asia in 2006 he reached 75 in the Official World Golf Rankings. His best year-end ranking on the European Order of Merit has been 9th in 2013. He topped the Asian Tour order of merit for a third time in 2009.
Thongchai won for the fifth time on the European Tour in June 2012 at the ISPS Handa Wales Open. This was the first occasion that Thongcjai had won on the European Tour outside Asia. He shot a final round one over 72, but won by a single stroke from four other players.
Thongchai qualified for the 2015 Presidents Cup squad for the first time and in doing so became the first player from Thailand to earn the honor. He won 1.5 points from 3 matches.
In September 2015, Thongchai won his seventh European Tour title at the Porsche European Open in Germany by a single stroke over Englishman Graeme Storm. He held the 54-hole lead by a stroke and shot a 67 in the final round to claim victory.
The Thai superstar claimed his eighth European Tour victory in July 2016, with a four-stroke victory at the Open de France. He shot weekend rounds of 68-68, which included a run of 39 holes without a bogey and moved him clear of the chasing pack. Thongchai became the oldest winner of the tournament, at the age of 46, since it became part of the European Tour in 1972.
Since he turned 50, Thongchai plays his game on the PGA's Senior Tour in America and is doing well.
To round it all off, the great Thai was the first Asian golfer to be honoured with ASIAN GOLF's Life Time Achievement Award and to be inducted into the ASIAN GOLF's prestigious Asian Golf Hall of Fame.
Thongchai, you will be remembered for time immemorial - how can we ever forget what you did for golf in Thailand and for the rest of Asia.
You're Simply The best!
