Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee celebrated his first-ever competitive round in South Africa with a seven under par 65 on the opening day of the Volvo Champions event in Durban.
Jaidee, 43 birdied six of his opening 10 holes to end the day three strokes clear of the South African Major winning pair of Ernie Els and Louis Oosthuizen on the famed Durban Country Club course.
Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee looking very pleased with hsimself in grabbing a three shot lead on day one of the Volvo Champions. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
Jaidee qualified for the elite 33-player field in capturing last year’s Wales Open.
“This is my first event in 2013 and it’s a good start as I have not really had much practice at home,” said Jaidee.
“I had a short break of two-and-a-half week with about seven days, or ten days no golf, and then after that, we have about five days of practice before we come here.
“So it’s very exciting to come here because I’ve never been to South Africa before.
“This is the first time in my life. And also we came here and look at the courses, very simple.”
However the heatwave conditions earlier in the week were replaced by cooler weather and then steady rain in the afternoon.
While the former Thai Army paratrooper has never competed in South Africa before he is no stranger to winning having won five European Tour titles and nine other victories on the Asian Tour.
However the current World No. 80 ranked Jaidee has set himself a New Year goal of breaking into the top-50 and a return to the Masters.
Jaidee made his Augusta National debut in 2006 missing the cut while in 2010 injury forced him out of the season’s first Major after a first round 74.
“My goal this year is top‑50 in the World Ranking and play in the Masters,” he said.
“That’s my key goal this year. You have to be Top‑50 and then try and make a good chance, we try. If not possible, we try the next time. The most important this year, we try to get, if possible, to get into the Masters. That’s my goal this year.”
Els is a former two-time South African Open winner on the Durban Country Club course and he showed his fondness for the Indian Ocean shoreline layout in birding his three holes.
And while the reigning British Open winner bogeyed the fourth he then managed three birdies in four holes from the seventh and then birdied the last in his four under par 68.
However after his ‘hot start’ Els was a little disappointed not to capitalise more.
“I had an unbelievable start but then I was in between two clubs on fourth tee and I was going to hit a 6‑iron and I went to a 5‑iron and I basically just made a bad swing on top of the ball,” he said.
“And then I didn’t have much of a second shot. I played quite a nice second shot, just stuck it on the green and I hit a putt and thought it was going to be very fast and it wasn’t, and five, six feet, so 3‑putt, so that wasn’t great.
“So after such a great start, to give shots back like, that that wasn’t good.
“But today was a very difficult today. In 2010 when we played here, it was very wet but there was no wind. You just went for the flags.
“And then yesterday, although the wind was blowing, it was blowing in the opposite direction. But you know, when you have wind on a golf course, and rain, it doesn’t get much tougher than that.”
Three years ago, Els won the South African Open with a 25-under par victory tally.
And fellow double US Open winner and compatriot, Retief Goosen returned to competition after a five-month layoff following back surgery to record a level par 72.
