Thai players are looking to continue their early domination of the 2007 Orient Masters Tour season as the US$50,000 Orient Masters Qingdao tees off tomorrow in China’s northern Shandong province.

A week after Porani Chutichai captured the season-opening Orient Masters Beijing by a commanding six strokes, the eight Thais in the 56-players field were feeling confident going tomorrow’s play at the 6,500-yard Orient Masters Qingdao course.

Pornanong Phatlum, a three-time winner on the All Thailand tour this year, said the links-style Qingdao course would favor the big hitters as the layout was 200 yards longer than in Beijing.

“I am feeling very confident with my approach shots and my putting and that’s the kind of feeling you want to have going into a tournament. It is those early shots that you can really build momentum from and just go from there,” said the Chaiyaphum native, fourth in Beijing last week. 

“I tailed off at the end of my round last week but this is a new start and I will just try to do better than I did last time. It is all in the concentration and the mental aspect that you have to take into the game. The talent level of the field is pretty even and everybody has a chance. I get the feeling that the Chinese don’t like to be beaten at home.”

Sixteen-year-old Chayuda Singsuwan who finished equal eighth in Beijing last week, best among the seven amateurs in the field, predicted a winning score of between four-under to 10-under for the 54-hole tournament.

“The fairways are not very wide but the rough is ankle high. The greens are larger than Beijing and the course is not very difficult nor is it easy. With the course being 200 yards longer than Beijing, for ladies this is a big challenge. You have to keep it on the fairway or the rough will stop your ball dead.”

Yang Hongmei, the 2005 Orient Masters Order of Merit winner, said the Thais playing on the tour this year had left a strong impression on the mainland Chinese pros for their steely resolve, strong course management and the fact that they never seem to get rattled with things go wrong.

“The Thai players are better than the Chinese so we really have to step up our game,” said the Sichuan Province native who recently returned to competition after the birth of her first child. “They are all young girls and it is evident the Thai sports body has spent great effort on developing its players. Our younger players can learn a lot from them.”

The Orient Masters Qingdao is a China Golf Association-sanctioned event.

Orient Qingdao Country Club is a par-72, 6,500 layout designed by T.K. Pen in Shandong province in northeast China.

Orient Golf will be sending your media organization a daily write-up on the action from Beijing on each of the three days of the tournament. Any coverage you could provide would be greatly appreciated.