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Jaidee Gains Momentum with European Open Win

By Sam Belden

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Mandatory Credit: Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

As in years past, the members of Team International will head to next week’s Presidents Cup as the clear underdogs. The Americans had better watch their backs, though–while they spent the weekend playing for the FedEx Cup, some of their opponents are gathering momentum overseas. Case in point: on Sunday, Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee notched a bogey-free 67 to hoist the trophy at the Porsche European Open.

After a six year absence from the European Tour schedule, the European Open finally made its long-awaited return this week. Given the riveting play and quality champion, almost everyone would agree that it was a huge success.

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After sleeping on a one-stroke lead, Jaidee found himself in a four-way tie with Graeme Storm, Soren Kjeldsen and Magnus A. Carlsson after the first couple of holes. However, the 45-year-old got his advantage right back after sinking a long birdie putt on the third hole. Another birdie on the eighth extended Jaidee’s advantage to two strokes, but Storm responded on nine and ten to even the score. The two men matched each other with two more birdies apiece on the back nine, but Storm plunked his ball into the water on 17, allowing Jaidee to par in for his seventh European Tour victory.

“I’m feeling very confident at the moment,” Jaidee said of his win. “I didn’t make many mistakes this week, only one bogey all week. I played very nicely and 17 under is some score for me.”

With this win, Jaidee will pocket €333,330 and move all the way up to eighth place in the Race to Dubai. Perhaps more importantly, his confidence is soaring as he heads to South Korea for his first Presidents Cup. As the first Thai player to ever appear in the biennial exhibition, Jaidee will want to adequately represent his country, and a validating win like this one will help to ease the pressure.

This week was also a banner one for Storm. After starting the week outside of the top 100 in the R2D, the Englishman has moved all the way up to No. 66, leaving him just six spots short of securing a berth at the DP World Tour Championship in November. If he can keep his good play going, he’s got a good shot at earning a tee time in Dubai. Storm’s week at Golf Resort Bad Griesbach didn’t yield his first European Tour victory since 2007, but he should take nothing but positives from the experience.

Pelle Edberg, the Swede who lit up the course with a 63 in the third round, closed with a 69 and finished in solo third. Australia’s Scott Hend finished with a 65 and was fourth. A group that included Jamie Donaldson, Ross Fisher, Lucas Bjerregaard and Rikard Karlberg tied for fifth. First round leader Charl Schwartzel struggled to a 75 on Saturday and tied for 19th.

Next, the European Tour will head to Scotland for the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. One of the richest and most distinctive tournaments on the schedule, the event is played in a pro-am format and features a rotation of three of the finest links courses in the world: Kingsbarns, Carnoustie and the Old Course at St Andrews. The finish line of the Race to Dubai is near, so if any other players are going to come out of the woodwork this year, they need to act now.

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