Kuala Lumpur: Team Asia playing captain Thongchai Jaidee has picked fellow Thai Boonchu Ruangkit as his vice-captain for the inaugural EurAsia Cup later this month.
The Ryder Cup style showdown between Team Asia and Team Europe will be held at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club from March 27-29.
“I am happy to announce that Boonchu will join Team Asia as my vice-captain. I felt it was important for me to include a very experienced and successful golfer in this role as he would be needed to inspire our players in what is going to be a very important tournament against Europe,” said Thongchai.
Boonchu, 57, is one of Asia’s living golf legends. He has won five Asian Tour titles and was crowned the 2010 European Seniors Tour Order of Merit winner.
“I am honoured that Thongchai has invited me to become Team Asia’s vice-captain. I hope to play my part in the EurAsia Cup and I have every confidence our team players will compete with honour and pride as they fight for Team Asia,” said Boonchu.
Team Asia will be represented by Asian Tour No.1 Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, Bangladeshi Siddikur Rahman, India’s Anirban Lahiri and Gaganjeet Bhullar, who all finished as the leading four Asian players on the 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit.
Korea’s Kim Hyung-Sung and Japanese duo Koumei Oda and Hideto Tanihara earned their places through the world ranking while Nicholas Fung of
Malaysia and Thai veteran Prayad Marksaeng were named as captain’s picks by Thongchai.
Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez is the playing captain for Team Europe which will include Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland, Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Frenchman Victor Dubuisson, Jamie Donaldson of Wales, Denmark’s Thomas Bjorn, Dutchman Joost Luiten and Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher. Jimenez’s captain’s picks are countrymen Pablo Larrazabal and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen.