The Thailand duo of Thongchai Jaidee and Kiradech Aphirbarnat will create history this week becoming the first-ever Asian born professionals to compete in Bulgaria.

Jaidee and Aphribarnrat will be among 24 players from 15 different nations competing in the Volvo World Match-Play Championship at the stunning Thracian Cliffs course laid out along the Black Sea shoreline.

Thailand’s triple Asian Tour No. 1 Thongchai Jaidee on the 8th tee during Wednesday’s Volvo World Match-Play Pro-Am. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)

The Gary Player designed course was laid out less than five years ago and is only among eight golf courses in football mad Bulgaria.

Fortunately, the draw for the Euro 3m event has Jaidee and his 23-year old younger Thai compatriot at either side of the draw.

If successful in their two round robin and quarter-final matches, Jaidee and Aphribarnra will face each other in Sunday morning’s semi-final and with the winner going through later that day to the final and the opportunity of capturing the Euro 800,000 first prize cheque.

Jaidee, like each and every competitor, has been left gob-smacked by the views from every hole of the course.

The triple Asian Tour No. 1 (2001, 04 and 09) was yesterday (WED) taking photos continually throughout the Pro-Am.

“It’s an incredible and stunning golf course and it’s just hard to believe they could build a golf course where they have,” he said.

“I was taking so many photographs so I can show all my family and friends what a great golf course and how good the views are.

“The only course I have played that comes close to this is the last couple of holes at Macua where we play the Macau Open.

“But the course here in Bulgaria is just out of this world, and on a day like today it was like looking at postcards on every hole.”

Jaidee qualified for the event as the leading Asian player on the World Rankings and while he is making his debut in the event, the 43-year showed he’s no slouch at match-play finishing T5th on debut in the 2010 WGC – Accenture Match-Play Championship in Arizona.

In this year’s event, Spain’s Sergio Garcia needed two extra holes to defeat the gritty Jaidee.

“I’ve played a lot of team events where you have match-play but not that many individual match-play events but in an event like this one here in Bulgaria any player can win on a given day,” said Jaidee.

“This golf course is ideal for match-play and now having played the Pro-Am and a practice round I feel as though I know what to do to play well around here.”

However Jaidee faces double Volvo World Match-Play champion, Ian Poulter in his first match Thursday and South African Thomas Aiken on Friday morning.

Aphribarnrat, the reigning Maybank Malaysian Open winner faces a bigger task as he faces defending champion, Nicolas Colsaerts in his first match on Friday morning and then South African Branden Grace in his second round robin encounter in the afternoon.