NEWPORT BEACH — Casual golf fans might not be familiar with his name or his game, but a case could be made that Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee is the Tiger Woods of the Asian Tour.
Tiger is the PGA Tour’s all-time leading money winner with nearly $121 million in prize money and 82 titles in tour-sanctioned events. Jaidee, 54, is the Singapore-based Asian Tour’s leading money winner with $5.4 million in career earnings and 13 victories on that tour.
Apples and oranges, certainly, but that distinction might make Jaidee the best professional golfer you’ve never heard of. Now playing on PGA Tour Champions, Jaidee has a chance to make a name for himself over the weekend in the Hoag Classic at Newport Beach Country Club if he maintains his impeccable ball-striking.
Playing in the tournament’s second group before the galleries swelled to watch the marquee names in the field, Jaidee fired a 9-under-par 62 in Friday’s opening round that was good enough for a one-shot lead over World Golf Hall of Famer Padraig Harrington (8-under 63) and Paul Broadhurst (63). Top rounds by local pros were a 3-under 68 by Paul Goydos of Coto de Caza (T15) and a 2-under 69 by Fred Couples of Corona del Mar (T28).
Jaidee tied his career-low round on PGA Tour Champions on the strength of his pinpoint iron play, hitting all 18 greens in regulation and flirting with a possible 59 until a 3-putt lip-out bogey on No. 16 and a 3-putt par on No. 18 also prevented him from matching the tournament and course record of 60 shared by Tom Purtzer, Nick Price and Duffy Waldorf.
“That’s OK, I’m not upset,” a smiling Jaidee said after his memorable round. “It’s pretty good to be 9-under par today.”
Jaidee’s career day requires another asterisk; he said he’s playing with an aching back because of compressed vertebrae that have periodically bothered him since 2008 and now necessitate twice-daily physical therapy sessions.
What makes his story even more interesting is that…
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