Bangkok, December 11: Four of the favourites to win the Thailand Golf Championship, which begins at Amata Spring Country Club tomorrow, exchanged their golf clubs for cooking utensils to take part in a culinary lesson at the St. Regis Bangkok. Bubba Watson, Charl Schwartzel and Hunter Mahan were joined by Thailand’s number one Thongchai Jaidee as they immersed themselves in local culture and learned to create two of the country’s most famous dishes.
The four players were shown the secrets behind making good Som Tum, or Green Papaya Salad, and Pad Thai, the stir-fried noodles dish commonly served as a street food and at casual local eateries all over Thailand by Chef Dong, Executive Sous Chef at The St. Regis Bangkok, who guided the players through the procedure with step-by-step instructions.
World number 31 Hunter Mahan, who is a self-confessed cooking fan and pursues this interest often at home, was excited to be offered the opportunity to learn from a top chef:
“I enjoyed today very much. It is a real honour to cooking with a great chef at the St. Regis. I love cooking and I love Thai food so it was a great experience. (This was all new to me because it was) different greens mixing with different flavours but it is all good and I enjoyed doing it.”
Following the cooking lesson, Mr Sarath Ratanavadi, Executive Director of the Thailand Golf Championship, was invited, along with Chef Deng and St. Regis Bangkok General Manager Krister Svensson to have a taste of the efforts by the star players and select a winner. In a friendly but competitive contest, 2012 Masters Champion was declared top chef of the day, a win that he was clearly not expecting:
“I am surprised to have won that! I have never cooked in my life, this was the first time. Maybe I am better at cooking than I am at golf, who knows! I am not very good in the kitchen and my wife lets me stay out of there.”
Three-time Asian Tour Order of Merit winner Thongchai has eaten many times the two dishes that were on the agenda today and expressed his enjoyment of the class. He also disclosed that he regularly cooks at home and tries to make different Thai dishes:
“I enjoyed it today. Pad Thai is very famous in Thailand, everyone knows Pad Thai but the taste can be very different depending on what you put in it. But it was great to have a cooking lesson here today. I sometimes go home and try to cook, but maybe not so much Pad Thai. I will try and make green curry, or red curry, something like that. ”
The players will now have one last chance to practice at the famous Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi through the Thailand Golf Championship Pro-Am competition today, where they will be grouped with keen amateur players to play, and offer advice during, a round at the course.
The third edition of the Thailand Golf Championship, one of Asia’s most prominent and premier professional golf tournaments, will take place from December 12-15 and features a stellar, world-class international line-up that includes three Major Champions and seven of the world’s top 40. In addition to the four players who enjoyed the cooking lesson today, other notable stars in the stellar line-up include, man-of-the-moment, Sweden’s Henrick Stenson who recently made history when he became the first man to win the Race to Dubai and the FedEx Cup, 2013 US Open Champion Justin Rose, former world number two Sergio Garcia, American star Rickie Fowler, Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa and local hope Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
With a total prize fund of US$1 million, the prestigious Championship also has an aim to promote Thailand as an international sports destination and regional event hub. In 2013, the tournament will be broadcasted live to 200 countries and 800 million homes worldwide.
Ends.
About the Thailand Golf Championship
The primary organizers of the event are Gulf Sports Management, the Asian Tour and IMG. They have been well supported by both government and private organizations such as Siam Commercial Bank, Gulf JP, Toyota, Tourism Authority of Thailand, PTT Public Company Limited, PTT Global Chemical Public Company Limited, PTT Exploration and Production Public Company Limited, Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited, Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand, Thaioil, IRPC, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Omega, Nooter / Eriksen, Samithivej Hospital, Starwood, CNN, SuperSports, Heineken, Ricoh, Graham Beck Wines, EST Cola, Panasonic, Srixon, Central Pattana, Bangkok Post and Amata Spring Country Club.
Thailand Golf Championship tickets are available at Thaiticketmajor at Baht 300 each for Round 1 and 2 (December 12 and 13). The price for Round 3 (December 14) is Baht 400, and for the final day on December 15 the price is Baht 500. A 4-day package ticket is only Baht 800. Children below the age of 16 and senior citizens 60-years-old and over can enjoy Thailand Golf Championship for free. Special offers for SCB Credit Card, PTT Blue Card, SPG Member Card and Samitivej Patient and Staff Card holders are available till December 11, 2013. Please call 02-262-3456.
About the Asian Tour
In 2013, the Asian Tour will celebrate a momentous milestone with its 10th season. As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Abacus (Official Apparel Partner), Inetol Headwear (Official Headwear Supplier), Saxo Capital Markets (Official Statistics Partner), Singha Beer (Official Beer), Srixon (Official Ball), Subway (Official Quick Service Restaurant), Starwood Hotels and Resorts (Official Hotels and Resorts) and Rolex (Official Timekeeper). The Asian Tour has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
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