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European Tour: HNA Open de France top 10 power rankings

By Mike Randleman

May 26, 2017; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Jon Rahm tees off on the 9th hole during the second round of the Dean & Deluca Invitational golf tournament at Colonial Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports
May 26, 2017; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Jon Rahm tees off on the 9th hole during the second round of the Dean & Deluca Invitational golf tournament at Colonial Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports /
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MUNICH, GERMANY – JUNE 22: Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand makes a note on the 10th hole during day one of the BMW International Open at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried on June 22, 2017 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
MUNICH, GERMANY – JUNE 22: Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand makes a note on the 10th hole during day one of the BMW International Open at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried on June 22, 2017 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images) /

In many European Tour events, Jaidee would be a top-10 talent. That’s not the case here, but let me tell you why that’s okay.

At 47 years of age, the Thai still looks spry as ever and is playing well week in and week out like a man half his age. His world No. 81 ranking is a product of consistency with an occasional elite tournament or two as a cherry on top.

Jaidee’s starts have reduced — he’s only played nine events in 2017 through 25 weeks — but he’s made seven cuts in a row after missing the first two.

One of the cherries I alluded to came at last year’s Open de France, which is statistically Jaidee’s career-best win. Look at the leaderboard right behind him: Francesco Molinari, Rory McIlroy, Rafael Cabrera Bellow and Martin Kaymer. Not bad, right? All could contribute to a winning Ryder Cup team in a year’s time but in 2016, they were eating Jaidee’s dust.

Jaidee has only one top 10 this season at the relatively weak Shenzhen International, but he’s a reliable pick to make the cut and also owns a co-runner-up finish here in 2014.

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