Thongchai Jaidee

Last updated
Thongchai Jaidee
ธงชัย ใจดี
Thongchai Jaidee.jpg
Personal information
Born (1969-11-08) 8 November 1969 (age 55)
Lopburi, Thailand
Height1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Weight63 kg (139 lb; 9.9 st)
Sporting nationalityFlag of Thailand.svg  Thailand
ResidenceLopburi, Thailand
Spouse
Namfon Latkrathok
(m. 1998)
Children2
Career
Turned professional1999
Current tour(s) Asian Tour
PGA Tour Champions
European Senior Tour
Former tour(s) European Tour
Professional wins22
Highest ranking 27 (3 January 2016) [1]
Number of wins by tour
European Tour8
Asian Tour13 (2nd all-time)
PGA Tour Champions2
Other3
Best results in major championships
Masters Tournament T37: 2014
PGA Championship T36: 2009
U.S. Open T47: 2010
The Open Championship T13: 2009
Achievements and awards
Asian Tour
Order of Merit winner
2001, 2004, 2009
Asian Tour
Players' Player of the Year
2001, 2004, 2009

Thongchai Jaidee (Thai : ธงชัย ใจดี; RTGS: Thongchai Chaidi, born 8 November 1969) is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He formerly played on the Asian Tour and the European Tour. On the Asian Tour, he holds the record for the most career earnings and is second in victories having won 13 times. He has won the Order of Merit on the Asian Tour three times during his career. Jaidee was the first man to win US$2 million, US$3 million, US$4 million, and US$5 million on the Asian Tour in prize money.

Contents

Early life

Jaidee did not start playing golf until he was sixteen, and he later went into the Royal Thai Army where he was a paratrooper in special forces.[ citation needed ]

Professional career

Jaidee did not turn professional until he was thirty years old, but he soon achieved success on the Asian Tour, winning the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 2001 and 2004. He first played in a major championship in the 2001 U.S. Open and finished tied 74th. [2] In February 2004 he became the first Thai to win a tournament on the European Tour by winning the Carlsberg Malaysian Open, an event which was co-sanctioned with the Asian Tour. In 2005, he successfully defended his Malaysian Open title.

In 2006 he received a special invitation to play in the Masters Tournament. He was the second Thai to play in the Masters after Sukree Onsham, who did so in 1970 and 1971, and by doing so, he became the first Thai to play in all four major championships.

After his victory in the Volvo Masters of Asia in 2006 he reached 75 in the Official World Golf Rankings. His best year-end ranking on the European Order of Merit has been 9th in 2013. He topped the Asian Tour order of merit for a third time in 2009.

Jaidee won for the fifth time on the European Tour in June 2012 at the ISPS Handa Wales Open. This was the first occasion that Jaidee had won on the European Tour outside Asia. He shot a final round one over 72, but won by a single stroke from four other players. [3]

Jaidee qualified for the 2015 Presidents Cup squad for the first time and in doing so became the first player from Thailand to earn the honor. He won 1.5 points from 3 matches.

In September 2015, Jaidee won his seventh European Tour title at the Porsche European Open in Germany by a single stroke over Englishman Graeme Storm. Jaidee held the 54-hole lead by a stroke and shot a 67 in the final round to claim victory.

Jaidee claimed his eighth European Tour victory in July 2016, with a four-stroke victory at the Open de France. He shot weekend rounds of 68-68, which included a run of 39 holes without a bogey and moved him clear of the chasing pack. Jaidee became the oldest winner of the tournament, at the age of 46, since it became part of the European Tour in 1972.

Amateur wins

Professional wins (22)

European Tour wins (8)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
122 Feb 2004 Carlsberg Malaysian Open 1−14 (71-71-64-68=274)2 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brad Kennedy
220 Feb 2005 Carlsberg Malaysian Open 1 (2)−21 (64-66-67-70=267)3 strokes Flag of India.svg Jyoti Randhawa
31 Mar 2009 Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open 1−12 (71-69-67-69=276)2 strokes Flag of England.svg Simon Dyson, Flag of Sweden.svg Alex Norén,
Flag of England.svg Steve Webster
426 Apr 2009 Ballantine's Championship 1,2−4 (66-71-77-70=284)Playoff Flag of Spain.svg Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Flag of South Korea.svg Kang Sung-hoon
53 Jun 2012 ISPS Handa Wales Open −6 (71-68-67-72=278)1 stroke Flag of Denmark.svg Thomas Bjørn, Flag of Spain.svg Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño,
Flag of the Netherlands.svg Joost Luiten, Flag of South Africa.svg Richard Sterne
61 Jun 2014 Nordea Masters −16 (69-70-68-65=272)Playoff Flag of France.svg Victor Dubuisson, Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Gallacher
727 Sep 2015 Porsche European Open −17 (68-68-64-67=267)1 stroke Flag of England.svg Graeme Storm
83 Jul 2016 Open de France −11 (67-70-68-68=273)4 strokes Flag of Italy.svg Francesco Molinari

1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the Korean Tour

European Tour playoff record (2–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentsResult
1 2009 Ballantine's Championship Flag of Spain.svg Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Flag of South Korea.svg Kang Sung-hoon Won with birdie on first extra hole
2 2014 Nordea Masters Flag of France.svg Victor Dubuisson, Flag of Scotland.svg Stephen Gallacher Won with birdie on first extra hole

Asian Tour wins (13)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
18 Oct 2000 Kolon Cup Korea Open 1−10 (70-69-69-70=278)1 stroke Flag of South Africa.svg Craig Kamps
218 Mar 2001 Wills Indian Open −17 (67-69-69-66=271)1 stroke Flag of Scotland.svg Ross Bain
310 Feb 2002 London Myanmar Open −11 (69-70-69-69=277)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Edward Loar
414 Dec 2003 Volvo Masters of Asia −19 (71-64-65-65=265)1 stroke Flag of the Republic of China.svg Lin Keng-chi
515 Feb 2004 Myanmar Open (2)−12 (69-72-66-69=276)3 strokes Flag of the United States.svg Andrew Pitts
622 Feb 2004 Carlsberg Malaysian Open 2−14 (71-71-64-68=274)2 strokes Flag of Australia (converted).svg Brad Kennedy
720 Feb 2005 Carlsberg Malaysian Open 2 (2)−21 (64-66-67-70=267)3 strokes Flag of India.svg Jyoti Randhawa
817 Dec 2006 Volvo Masters of Asia (2)−11 (68-68-69-72=277)1 stroke Flag of the Philippines.svg Frankie Miñoza
97 Dec 2008 Hana Bank Vietnam Masters −15 (67-69-70-67=273)Playoff Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Rhys Davies, Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andrew Dodt
1014 Dec 2008 Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open −24 (68-66-64-66=264)6 strokes Flag of Singapore.svg Lam Chih Bing
111 Mar 2009 Enjoy Jakarta Indonesia Open 2−12 (71-69-67-69=276)2 strokes Flag of England.svg Simon Dyson, Flag of Sweden.svg Alex Norén,
Flag of England.svg Steve Webster
1226 Apr 2009 Ballantine's Championship 1,2−4 (66-71-77-70=280)Playoff Flag of Spain.svg Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Flag of South Korea.svg Kang Sung-hoon
1312 Dec 2010 Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open (2)−21 (70-67-65-65=267)4 strokes Flag of Japan.svg Kenichi Kuboya

1Co-sanctioned by the Korean Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the European Tour

Asian Tour playoff record (3–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponent(s)Result
1 2002 London Myanmar Open Flag of the United States.svg Edward Loar Won with par on first extra hole
2 2008 Hana Bank Vietnam Masters Flag of Wales (1959-present).svg Rhys Davies, Flag of Australia (converted).svg Andrew Dodt Won with par on third extra hole
Dodt eliminated by birdie on second hole
3 2009 Ballantine's Championship Flag of Spain.svg Gonzalo Fernández-Castaño, Flag of South Korea.svg Kang Sung-hoon Won with birdie on first extra hole

Other wins (3)

PGA Tour Champions wins (2)

No.DateTournamentWinning scoreMargin of
victory
Runner-up
112 Jun 2022 American Family Insurance Championship −14 (69-65-68=202)1 stroke Flag of the United States.svg Tom Pernice Jr.
224 Sep 2023 PURE Insurance Championship −14 (70-65-67=202)Playoff Flag of the United States.svg Justin Leonard

PGA Tour Champions playoff record (1–0)

No.YearTournamentOpponentResult
1 2023 PURE Insurance Championship Flag of the United States.svg Justin Leonard Won with par on fourth extra hole

Results in major championships

Tournament200120022003200420052006200720082009
Masters Tournament CUT
U.S. Open T74
The Open Championship WDT52T13
PGA Championship CUTCUTCUTT36
Tournament20102011201220132014201520162017
Masters Tournament WDT375557
U.S. Open T47CUTCUTCUT
The Open Championship CUTCUTT77T32T39T65T22T27
PGA Championship CUTCUTT47CUTCUTT73CUT
  Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" = tied

Summary

TournamentWins2nd3rdTop-5Top-10Top-25EventsCuts made
Masters Tournament 00000053
U.S. Open 00000052
The Open Championship 000002118
PGA Championship 000000113
Totals0000023216

Results in The Players Championship

Tournament2009201020112012201320142015
The Players Championship CUTCUTCUTCUT
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut

Results in World Golf Championships

Results not in chronological order prior to 2015.

Tournament2002200320042005200620072008200920102011201220132014201520162017
Championship T57T66T4160T9T23T56T669
Match Play QFR64R64T34T28T39
Invitational T32T58T46T60WDT52T57T63
Champions T19T29T21T46T41T11T30
  Top 10
  Did not play

WD = Withdrew
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

Results in senior major championships

Results not in chronological order

Tournament20212022202320242025
The Tradition T23T22T19
Senior PGA Championship T23T17T20WD
Senior Players Championship T17T40
U.S. Senior Open T34T4CUTT5
The Senior Open Championship WDT3T20
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = missed the halfway cut
WD = withdrew
"T" indicates a tie for a place

Team appearances

See also

References

  1. "Week 01 2016 Ending 3 Jan 2016" (pdf). OWGR . Retrieved 5 October 2019.
  2. 2001 U.S. Open results
  3. "Thongchai Jaidee" . Retrieved 2012-06-07.