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European golfing duo target Thailand meet

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IANS Chonburi (Thailand)

Two of Europe's most consistent performers will be looking to end 2014 with a bang at the Thailand Golf Championship which takes place at the award-winning Amata Spring Country Club Dec 11-14.

Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and Bernd Wiesberger of Austria, who between them have recorded eleven top-10 finishes on the European Tour schedule this season, will arrive in Thailand each with the aim of claiming their first victory of the year.

"The only thing lacking from the past season has been a win," said Fleetwood, who racked up three runner-up finishes on his way to a career-best 19th place in the Race to Dubai rankings.

 

"But I've been feeling happy about my game for a while now so I'm all set for a good week in Thailand."

Fleetwood, who emerged victorious at the 2013 Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles for his maiden European Tour title, has experienced playing at the Amata Spring course when he made his debut in the 2011 edition of the $1 million showpiece event.

"It's a great track, one I really enjoy playing. You have to be spot on with your irons because the greens can be tricky," said Fleetwood of the three-time Asian Tour Venue of the Year.

"So I'm looking forward to returning to Thailand. I'm up for the challenge ahead."

Wiesberger, too, has happy memories of the Thailand Golf Championship -- the Vienna-born 29-year-old finished in a share of 26th on his tournament debut last year -- and is hoping to recapture the form that netted him two European Tour victories in 2012.

"I've had success in Asia before and I always enjoy coming to play in the region so the Thailand Golf Championship is a big week for me," said Wiesberger, who won the Ballantine's Championship in Korea for his breakthrough victory.

The Austrian, who finished second at the Maybank Malaysian Open and the Lyoness Open in his homeland for his best results of the year, will be buoyed by his performance at the US PGA Championship in August where he played in the final group alongside eventual champion Rory McIlroy.

Being in contention at a major, however, was a great learning experience.

"I was very proud of a lot of what I achieved at Valhalla, especially given I had never been in that situation before," Wiesberger, currently 72nd in the Official World Golf Ranking, explained.

"Although I didn't play as well in the final round as I would have wanted, I benefited a lot from the week. Hopefully I can use that experience and go on to achieve more success in the bigger events."

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First Published: Dec 04 2014 | 2:04 PM IST

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