Bangkok, Thailand (October 5, 2022): Majesticks GC teammates Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood are aiming to take full control of their fourball’s march to LIV Golf’s season-ending Miami semi-finals by making experience pay off at this week’s penultimate regular season Invitational at Stonehill, Bangkok.
The veteran pair – who between them have racked up more than 50 years playing
elite level Tour golf – are in the Thai capital for this weekend’s $25million
LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok, the sixth of eight debut events on LIV’s 2022
calendar.
As a team, the Ryder Cup stars – whose Majesticks teammates are fellow
Englishman Sam Horsfield, and Sweden’s Henrik Stenson – arrive at the event
third in the season-long standings, only one point ahead of fourth-placed
Crushers GC and 20 ahead of the Sergio Garcia-led Fireballs.
With two events to play before LIV Golf’s season-ending $50million Team
Championship in Miami, the Majesticks GC pair today conceded that despite being
in a strong position to secure a top four berth that would give them a bye into
the deciding event’s semi-final, their work is far from done – and that they will
be looking to take full control in ensuring they hold onto that spot with a
strong showing this week in Bangkok.
Poulter said: “There's a lot of emphasis in making sure we finish in
that top four. There’s many reasons to make sure you are in that bye situation.
Obviously, you’re either playing on the Friday or you have an extra day to
prepare for Saturday in Miami. We’re fully well aware, just as much as every
other team is aware of how valuable that is to make sure you're in that bye
position to obviously get through that quarter-finals stage.
“We know we're only a point ahead, and we need to maintain that and if
not increase that, and we're very conscious, so thanks for reminding us!”
Westwood added: “We are 20 points ahead of fifth – I'm not bothered who’s
in fourth. We're the important team to focus on, but, if anything, you've got
to look at who’s in fifth. They’re the ones that could kick us out or somebody
behind there. If we can control what we're doing, then we know we’re good
enough to play well these next couple of weeks and hang on to third or even higher.
“I'd rather be in third than fifth position!”
Both men have touched down in a continent where they hold good
memories.
“Right from the beginning of my career, 1994, I think my second or
third event ever was the Johnnie Walker Classic in Phuket, Blue Canyon, and
fell in love with Asia then, and have always enjoyed coming back here,” said
Westwood, who has bagged more than ten titles in the region.
“Obviously [coming back to Asia] wasn’t possible through COVID over the
past couple of years, three years, and I’ve missed it. I’ve been a regular
coming back for the Thailand Golf Championship and Indonesia Masters and a lot
of other tournaments all over Asia. I think I've got 11 or 12 wins in Asia.
It’s somewhere I've always tried to play. It’s nice to be back. It’s a part of
the world I look to come and play in and I’ve been successful, which makes it
even better. It’s nice to be here with LIV and taking golf around the globe
again.”
Said Poulter: “I’m really similar. Right from the year 2000, once I got
my European Tour card, traveling around Asia, playing, and having a level of
success, as you said: Singapore, I won in Hong Kong, I won in Japan, runner-up
in Korea, won down in Australia, so enjoyed the aspect of playing
internationally and obviously just not in one place.
“I’ve loved my success in all the years that I've been traveling for
the last 24 years, and as Lee said, we really didn’t have that option through
COVID, but obviously now the new schedule and how it’s going to lay itself out
with LIV, it's a fantastic opportunity because we've got so many fans that
we've picked up through all the years of winning great tournaments in this part
of the world, and it will be great to see them all again.”
Also speaking ahead of Friday’s opening round at Stonehill was Team
Ironheads GC captain, Kevin Na, whose team – consisting of hometown stars Sadom
Kaewkanjana and Phachara Khongwatmai, and Sihwan Kim of the USA – can expect a
warm welcome from the Thai fans.
Asked if he is expecting his team to receive the bulk of the local
backing, Na said: “You know it, and a that’s a lot of pressure on you guys! I
feel like we have a home court advantage. The two Thai guys are amazing
golfers. They're very talented. Sadom had a great finish at the Open
Championship; Phachara bombs it, and the course is going to set up perfect for
him. We're going to have the Thai fans supporting us, so I'm excited.”
The
LIV Golf Invitational Bangkok takes place at Stonehill from October 7-9, and tickets
are available now. General admission price for a single-day grounds pass is
800THB, with three-day passes on sale for 1600THB at LIVGolf.com or
at thaiticketmajor.com. Single day and three-day
hospitality packages for the popular Club 54 and Gallery Club experiences are
also available. Those under 15 are able to enter for free.
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