Thai golfer Thaworn Wiratchant has accepted an invitation to compete at the 2013 Masters held at Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia, USA. The tournament will be held April 11-14 and so far 85 players from 21 countries, 16 first-time participants and six amateurs have agreed to compete at the prestigious event.
Billy Payne, chairman of Augusta National Golf Club and the Masters, is proud the way the tournament brings together a world class field from across the globe.
“Through our established qualifications, and invitations to select international players not otherwise qualified, we historically bring together a collection of the world’s top players, and this year is no different,” Payne said.
“The Masters has long established a tradition of supporting the global game, and we were excited to extend invitations to Thaworn Wiratchant and Ryo Ishikawa, who we hope will provide added interest and enthusiasm for golf in Asia through their participation in the tournament.”
Japanese golfer Ryo Ishikawa, 21, will be making his fifth straight appearance at the Masters, with his best finish coming in 2011 when he tied for 20th reports the Bangkok Post.
Thaworn Wiratchant will be making his debut at this year’s event, but the 46-year old, known for his unorthodox swing and excellent short game, is confident after he won the 2012 Asian Tour Order of Merit, his second after winning it in 2005.
“This is the result of hard work,” Thaworn said in a recent interview about his dream season in 2012. “There are new players coming in and I’m getting older. That’s not an excuse but I definitely tried harder this time. I never thought I could win the Order of Merit at this age.
“Every day I spend time training and I only spend time with my family on Sunday. I love golf a lot. When I stay at home, I practise more than when I play in a tournament.”
