The 2009 Singha Thailand Open golf tournament is underway in Phuket, Thailand. This international professional tournament is scheduled to run from March 4th through Sunday, March 8th at the Laguna Phuket course.
This national Open debuted in 1965 and was a vital part of the Asian Golf Circuit. Due to the difficulty of finding sponsors, the tournament was last played in 2005. It returns this year for its 40th run with new sponsors. The restaurants, Phuket best hotels, and other tourist-dependent businesses are excited that the revitalized event will drawn players and fans for years to come.
After the first round, Austrailan Mitchell Brown and Digvijay Singh of India were in the lead. They each posted a seven-under-par score of 63, putting them one stroke ahead of the rest of the field.
Thai athlete, Thongchai Jaidee is a favorite to win the event. Jaidee was victorious at the Indonesian Open a week prior to the Thailand Open. He has earned eleven titles in his career, a record for any current player on the Asian Tour.
Other top competitors include Anthony Kang(USA) and Daniel Chopra (Sweden) and Chinnarat Phadungsil (Thailand).
Sunday’s winner will receive $79,000USD and the King’s Trophy.