Thai Sensation Jazz Janewattananond Pinching Himself Joining Billy Horschel At Dean & Deluca Invt.

Fort Worth, TX …

It was one of those pinch yourself moments.

Jazz Janewattananond was on the first tee of the famed Colonial Country Club course and venue for this week’s PGA Tour Dean & Deluca Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.

Asking if he could join the exciting 21-year old Thai-born star for a practice round was Billy Horschel and just two days after the Florida-born golfer ended a three-year winless drought to capture the AT & A Byron Nelson.

Jazz Janewattananoud standing in front of the Ben Hogan statue at this weeks Dean & Deluca being held at the Colonial Club in Fort Worth, Texas … Image www.golfbytourmiss.com

Jazz is no stranger to playing golf in the US as he is coached by Terry Rowles, an Englishman living in Phoenix, Arizona and in recent times Jazz has stayed at the Rowles house and played many of the gems in the city including TPC Phoenix and venue each year for the Phoenix Open.

However, Jazz has found his way to Texas for a first occasion to make his debut on a course when legendary Ben Hogan called home, and where there is a statute of Hogan who won the event, and then known as the Colonial National Invitational, five times between 1946 and 1959.  (See image of Jazz in front of the Hogan statue)

Jazz won the recent MENA Tour’s MahaSamutr Masters at Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin and also in Thailand, and had broken through in February to win also for a first time on the Asian Tour in capturing the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open, and a win that revived his pro career since joining the play-for-pay ranks amazingly seven years ago.

Jazz, and proudly wearing the logo of home club, Black Mountain in Thailand, had been afforded an invitation into the $US 6.7m event and he is the first Thai-born golfer to contest the PGA Tour’s longest-running tournament.

However, sadly for the clearly bright, bubbly and also young freckle-faced Jazz his practice round with Horschel lasted just one hole due to rain.

I was supposed to play nine holes this morning (TUES) but because of the rain we only got to manage just one hole but I then I was really pleased Billy wanted to play a round with me”, said Jazz.

“He was really nice and even though he did not know who I was, he did ask me about how I got into the event while I congratulated him on winning on Sunday”.

Jazz travelled to Texas in the company of his caddy, Scottish-born Greg Harper and who caddies for him in Asia,

And Harper, who hails from famed Musselburgh and just to the east of Edinburgh, revealed he previously had worked as an English language teacher, and once taught Jazz.

It is little wonder then Jazz enjoys such a strong grasp of English.

“I have known Greg for about for the past three to four years and he is one of my good friends but then we first met each other many years ago when he was my English teacher,” said Jazz.

“And having spent a long time travelling to the States and staying with Terry has all helped make me feel comfortable coming here to Texas but then what I have found strange and getting used to is varying grasses they compete on over here and it does takes some getting used to you.

“But then the Colonial club course, it is a very traditional tree-lined course very flat and with raised greens, and from what I have seen I feel it does suit my eye”.

However, Jazz will tee-up in the Lone Star State focussing not so much on the $US 1.2o6m first prize cheque nor striving to make the halfway cut but simply to enjoy the occasion.

“I have known for some time I would be playing here in Fort Worth but then it was like the icing on the cake for me, and a great confidence-booster having recently won on the MENA Tour,” he said.

“There is nothing like a victory to help boost your confidence but in saying that I know I am going to be really nervous teeing-up on Thursday in what will be my first PGA Tour event.

“But it is not as though I am pinching myself as I have just wanted to play in a PGA Tour event for so long and this is ultimately where I want to be playing eventually and that is a member of the Tour.

“So, for the time being I just do not care if I do not make any money this week.  It is just so good to be here in Texas and making my PGA Tour debut.”

Jazz will contest the opening two rounds in the company of local Fort Worth’s Martin Piller and Sam Saunders, the grandson of the late Arnold Palmer.

And to honour the memory of Palmer, Rowles has handed Jazz an special commemorative “Arnies Army” badge to pin to his cap this week.



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