A stroke ahead of defending champion Chonlada Chayanun and Ornnicha Konsunthea at the start of the day, the 23-year-old swapped an opening birdie with a bogey on the second hole before she gained her composure to fire five birdies against a bogey to sign off on 12 under-par-204 in the 5th leg of the Thai LPGA Tour this season.

“This is very special for me as it’s my first win,” said the new graduate from Silpakorn University, who returns home to Bangkok with a winner’s cheque for Bt142,500.

“I was quite nervous as start as Ornicha is the defending champion while Chonlada has been hitting well. I couldn’t hit the fairways at the beginning but still managed to shoot scores.

“Hitting 12 under is by fat the best score in my career. I’m extremely happy I achieved that in my first victory.”

Trichat’s next stop is a China LPGA Tour event in Beijing next week.

Nattapan Siritrai, after a bogey free 68, shared second place with Chiang Mai-born Chalisa Limpipolpaibul, who also had a bogey-free 69 , each finishing three strokes back on nine under-par and picking up cheques for Bt78,730.

Ornnicha and Chonlada were tied at fourth, one further back, along with Kultida Pramphun.

So far all five legs of the Thai LPGA Tour  have been won by different players: Supamas Sangchan won the opener in Prachinburi, Kultida Pramphun in Nakhon Nayok, 2018 THai LPGA No 1 player Apichaya Yobol in Rayong and Chonlada in Nakhon Ratchasima.

The top 40 players in the Order Of Merit will be eligible for the Ladies European Thailand Championship in Pattaya next month.

 Somyot says the four-team exhibition event at the Chang Arena in Buriram will bea good test for his side and a chance to restore faith among Thai fans.

Thailand will play the No 1 Asean team Vietnam at 7.45pm on June 5 after the opening match between Curacao and India. The winners will meet in the final three days later.

“All three visiting teams have better world rankings than ours,” said Somyot during a weekly meeting at the FAT headquarters in Hua Mark. “That will be the challenge that we cannot overlook.”

Somyot also believes that players have enough time to train and prepare for the tournament and should be which ready to prove they can battle with any team.

“This is a good opportunity for the players to prove how ready and fresh they are when they face tough teams. Their determination together with the fans’ support, should drive them to create good results.”

Caretaker coach Sirisak Yodyadthai, meanwhile, insists that he needs striker Teerasil Dangda as he lacks other option up front – Teerasil’s club Muangthong United had asked him not to pick their players because they were in a slump and had spiralled down the Thai League.

“We are short of good forwards. That’s why I really had to call up Teerasil,” said Sirisak. “I believe his experience with Frecce Hiroshima [in the J-League] from last year will be very useful for us.”

A total of 35 players, including four from Muangthong, have been called by Sirisak, who will cut the squad to 23 on May 27.

In the domestic market, Carabao Dang will strengthen its presence, and will penetrate the international market with a sport marketing strategy.

The brand recently signed another two-year contract with EFL to maintain the official main sponsorship of the Carabao Cup. Marketing research from the previous season of EFL shows that Carabao gained 106 per cent more brand awareness, which has paved the way for the brand in the international market and increased 2018 export sales to 52 per cent.

Carabao Group is looking to fulfill its goal to become both a world-class brand and a world-class product with all-in-one state-of-the-art technology that cuts cost and increases profit to accommodate the brand’s full-on international expansion over the next three years.

Sathien Setthasit, the CEO of Carabao Group Public Co Ltd (CBG) or CBG, revealed that the marketing research done through the EFL platform earlier in March for the 2017-2018 season found that Carabao has received a 106-per cent bump in brand awareness (at 66 per cent, up from 32 per cent the previous year). The research result agrees with the group’s marketing outlook, especially for the new countries in the international market where Carabao Dang has been launched – in Europe, America, Africa, Australia and Asia.

In 2018, Carabao Group saw a 45 per cent increase in overall income, including a 52 per cent increase from international markets.

The success led Carabao Group to renew its EFL cup sponsorship for 2021 and 2022.

“Another factor that helps support our extensive expansion is combining our production plants as an integral, vertical factory on 200 rai of land in Chachoengsao province during the past 2-3 years to reduce costs and generate more profit in the long term,” said Sathien.

CBG now has the Asia Pacific Glass (APG) glass bottle manufacturing plant, the Carabao Tawan Dang (CBD) bottling plant, and Asia Can Manufacturing (ACM) to help reduce cost for outsourced parties and to allow the group to supply other brands. This production integration has been set in motion to accommodate the regional market growth in the next 2-3 years.

“Carabao Group’s distinctive recognisability for both the local and international markets will surely help the brand to be well accepted and better known,” said Sathien.

He also stressed the importance of sports marketing as the brand’s key strategy to create brand awareness for Carabao Dang, not only as a world-class brand in the domestic market, but also as an entrant product in new and promising markets such as Mexico and Uruguay in South America as well as Ghana, Nigeria and Djibouti in Africa.

In Europe, Carabao Dang has a presence in 20 countries, while Australia and Korea have shown keen interest to market Carabao Dang. The exponential growth of the non-carbonated Carabao Dang can in China has strengthened the brand’s ultra-premium image that has allowed consumers to learn and become familiar with the products via Bao Dang girls at sales points in 20,000 Sinopec gas stations throughout that country.

Carabao Dang is now available in 15,000 branches in five northern regions, including Heilongjiang, Harbin, Peking, Hubei and Shandong. The brand is looking to cover 100 per cent of Sinopec gas stations by the end of the year, which it expects will springboard the brand’s presence and growth in China. As for the markets in CLMV, the growth is gradual at 67 per cent compared to the same period of last year especially in Cambodia where it experienced the highest growth.

As for the domestic market, Carabao Dang sees small growth compared to the same period of last year as the energy drink market is slowing. However, products distributed by Carabao Group have seen 27-per cent growth as a result of the Group’s ability to cover 90 per cent of the country. Overall income reached Bt14,463 million, an increase from the previous year of Bt1,558 million, or 12.1 per cent. Income from domestic sales is 55 per cent and the income from international market has increased by 45 per cent. Considering the income from the energy drink product alone, 52 per cent comes from international markets, which are higher than the 48 per cent from the domestic market.

As for its marketing strategy, Carabao Dang will continue to use sports marketing as its key plan with a series of promotional events, brand awareness events in overseas markets, product experience through Bao Dang girls, an increase in distribution channels and communication via both online and offline media.

The brand is also looking to create a strong brand image through its own media channels, such as the Carabao Group on various social media, its website, Facebook page, Instagram, LINE and YouTube. The group is confident that the strategies will strengthen Carabao Group over the next three years and result in it becoming Thailand’s market leader in the energy drink market and to secure more income from the export business compared with the previous year.

The four events are the national selection of Thailand Esports team for the 2019 SEA Games in the Philippines, the Thailand Corporate League on May 31 to select representatives from Thailand to compete in the PVP Esports Corporate Community in Singapore, the PUBG Mobile King of the Hill Official Partner with AIS Zeed on June 1, and the Speed Drifters Legends Cup on June 2.

Mr. Pratthana Leelapanang, AIS’s Chief Consumer Business Officer, said “In the year 2018, we have seen the growth of the eSports business in Thailand clearly with a market value of up to 22,000 million baht and a group of players with as many as 27.5 million people while still growing every year. eSports athletes and Thai gamers have the ability not to lose other nations as well, AIS, therefore, intends to become a core in supporting the Thai gaming and eSports industry in concrete ways to lead to strong growth and international recognition.

Today, AIS continues to support the eSports industry by launching the Thailand Game Expo by AIS eSports, the biggest gaming and gaming event held in Thailand for the first time, which has combined the strengths of AIS as the network provider with M Vision, the largest mobile exhibition organizer in the country, and leading giant partners from all industries in order to bring the products and services of eSport to make shopping with great value and the best price, and create a world of eSports experience for Thai gamers to meet in close contact including the selection of eSports athletes to represent the Thai national team to compete in the 30th SEA Games that commonly do not have the opportunity to see and together with an environment of the eSports Championship in Thailand which can be watched and cheered closely including participating in the Walk in Tournament to win the prize and many rewards as well.”

Mr. Thanong Leeissaranukul, Chairman of M Vision Public Company Limited or MVP, said “The company is an event organizing specialist. Previously, the company has organized a great eSport event in the Asia Pacific, allowing the company to have experience and expertise in organizing eSport competitions. The company would like to thank AIS for seeing such strengths and choosing MVP as a partner to join Thailand Game Expo by AIS eSports in this time and the company still believes that this event will be a center of eSports athletes. And if this event received good feedbacks, the company still believes that this kind of activity will happen again in the future for sure.”

Meet Thailand Game Expo by AIS eSports on 30 May – 2 June 2019 from 10 am. – 8 pm. at BITEC Bangna Hall EH100. See details of activities, promotions and additional information at http://www.thailandgameexpo.com

Kiradech, the first Thai to earn his full playing rights on the PGA TOUR, is coming off a tied-fifth result at the AT&T Byron Nelson last week which moved him up two rungs from 43 to 41 place on the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR). He will make his sixth appearance at this week’s Major.

South Africa’s Justin Harding, who enjoyed his first top-10 finish on the PGA TOUR on Sunday, will also feature alongside Kiradech at the challenging Bethpage Black course in Long Island, New York.

Debutants Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand, Shaun Norris of South Africa and Americans Kurt Kitayama and David Lipsky will also be part of the new wave of contenders hoping to hoist the Wanamaker trophy at the 101st staging of the prestigious event.

Ranked first in the field in putting statistics last week and third overall on the PGA TOUR with a 0.974 strokes gained putting average, the 29-year-old Thai proved his game was on song with his hot putter despite battling a knee injury he incurred at The Masters last month.

“I just kept seeing the ball roll to the line and matched the speed. Heading into the PGA Championship, I will just keep doing what I am doing and hopefully it will be my week,” said Kiradech.

The burly Thai claimed his third Asian Tour victory in February last year which ended a three-year title drought on Tour. He went on to have a stellar 2018 with two top-five finishes at the World Golf Championships and a career-best Major result of 15th place at the U.S. Open.

Hoping to improve on his tied-25th finish at the PGA Championship in 2013, which was also the first-ever cut he made in a Major, Kiradech will adopt the same carefree mindset which led him to his third top-five finish for the 2018/19 PGA TOUR season.

“When I played last week, I just tried to enjoy the game and get the feel of the ball. It was quite a surprise to me to get a good result. I will try and have the same game plan and play freely. It is such a great feeling and I just want to enjoy every step,” added Kiradech.

After taking a week off to prepare for his first appearance at the PGA Championship, Jazz, who is currently 72nd on the OWGR, will have his sights set on a top-10 finish to propel him into the top-60 in order to qualify for the U.S. Open Championship by the cut-off date.

The 23-year-old Thai already has an impressive season with one victory and four top-10 finishes in the bag and he will be hoping to carry over that momentum into this week.

“My goal before this week was to get my momentum going in time for the PGA Championship because I haven’t been playing that well lately and I feel I can do better.

“I missed the cut at the Hero Indian Open by one shot but I made the cut at the Volvo China Open and I need momentum like that to be on form,” added Jazz.

The PGA Championship is the second of four annual Major events on the golfing calendar and this year would be the first time since 1949 that the event is held in May.

More than 15,000 runners and bicyclists sign up for the event staged to raise proceeds  will be presented to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn.

The event, raised to commemorate the Royal Coronation Ceremony of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn,consists of 10-km and 23.5-km run and a 23.5-km bike. With the aim to promote public health  through exercise, people from all walks of life are invited to join the event for  free of charge.

The Happy and Healthy Run and Bike for the King event was initiated with the cooperation by 11 leading organizations, including AOT, SCB, True Corporation PCL, Thai Beverage PCL, PTT PCL, Indorama Ventures PCL, Gulf Energy Development PCL, Bangkok Dusit Medical Services PCL, FWD Insurance PCL, Bangchak Corporation PCL, and King Power Group.

The activity application was launched on May 2, 2019 through registration at https://happyhealthyrunandbike.com and https://race.thai.run/SCBRUN. Application is open for 15,000 people, including the 23.5-km run for 4,000 people and the 10-km run for 6,000 people, and the 23.5-km bike for 5,000 people.Net proceeds will be presented to His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua.

AOT President Mr. Nitinai Sirismatthakarn said that a lot of people have applied for “Happy and Healthy Run and Bike for the King” activities to demonstrate their loyalty and gratitude for the great kindness and generosity shown by His Majesty the King. AOT appreciates their heartfelt participation and is fully prepared to provide convenience to participants. Parking lots for over 6,000 vehicles will be provided free of charge at the Zone C car park, the temporary car park next to the Provincial Police Station at Suvarnabhnumi Airport, and car parks in the vicinity of the bike lane at Suvarnabhumi Road 4 and surrounding areas. Guide boards will be installed to lead runners and bicyclists to the parking lots. A shuttle bus service will be provided to bring them from the parking lots to the Happy and Healthy Bike Lane. AOT will put security officials in place to maintain security at all parking lots and offer drinking water to participants and visitors.

In addition, AOT plans to launch a volunteer project to help improve the Suvarnabhumi Airport landscape and provide convenience for “Happy and Healthy Run and Bike for the King” Activities on May 22, 2019. Under the project, more than 400 volunteer staff from AOT and various working units operating at Suvarnabhumi Airport, such as the Provincial Police Station at Suvarnabhumi Airport, tourist police, immigration command, and airline staff will participate in cleaning, collecting garbage, painting parking lots, maintaining guide boards, and cleaning shuttle bus parking lots in the surrounding areas.

SCB President Mrs. Apiphan Charoenanusorn said a large number of people are ready to participate in “Happy and Healthy Run and Bike for the King” activities in the wake of the auspicious occasion of the Royal Coronation Ceremony. SCB is ready to make things convenient for participants at this historic event. Applicants receiving confirmation emails are advised to receive shirts and commemorative bibs at Mahisorn Hall, SCB Headquarters, from May 18-19, 2019 during 08.00-20.00 hours. Those picking up shirts are required to show identification cards (or a copy of the ID card of someone picking up a shirt on their behalf), and confirmation emails (printed or shown on mobile phones). Participants in the bike activity who have never registered for SNAP are required to pick up their shirts and register for SNAP on their own. Thai citizens are required to use their national ID card, while foreigners can use their passport for registration. Wearing the commemorative shirts is mandatory, otherwise participants will not be permitted to join the activities.

The start and cutoff for the 23-km run activity is 4a.m. and 8 a.m., that for the 10-km run activity is 5a.m. and 8a.m., and that for the 23-km bike activity is 5.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.

The caretaker manager announced a 35-man squad for next month’s King’s Cup in Buriram and included four Muangthong United players their club had asked to be omitted due to their dismal form in the Thai League.

Sirisak went with his original choices and picked strikers Teerasil Dangda and Adisak Kraisorn, midfielder Sarach Yooyen and defender Adisorn Promrat, saying their experience would benefit the team.

In particular he was referring to Teerasil, who will be earn his 100th cap if chosen to play in the opening game of the four-nation tournament, against Vietnam on June 5.

“Both Teerasil and Sarach have always performed well in the national team,” said Sirisak who has been in charge of the national team since the Asian Cup in January.

“The team needs experienced players to help the young players. Besides, Teerasil should be allowed to have the honour of winning his 100th cap.

“No matter what happens with Muangthong in the Thai League, the players should maximise their efforts to find the best form in the League games – oherwise they may miss their spots in the final cut,” added Sirisak, who will whittle down his squad to 23 players later this month.

Sirisak has also called up for other overseas players:  Chanatip Songkrasin of Consadole Sappporo, Thitipan Puangchan of Oita Trinita, Kawin Thamsatchanan of Oh Leuven and Theerathon Bunmathan of Yogkohama F Marinos.

Star striker Supachai Jaided and 16-year-old up-and-coing Supanat Muenta, both from the under-23 team, are also in the list.

“Actually I told [under-23 coach] Alexandre Gama that only Supachai is needed but Supanat should be given this opportunity too judging by how he has performed and even scored goals in the Thai League,” Sirisak said.

He also insisted that his only thought was to win the King’s Cup – India and the Caribbean island nation of Curacao are the other teams taking part.

Guardiola’s City retained the Premier League title on Sunday, beating Klopp’s Liverpool by a single point at the end of a thrilling title race.

Having also won the League Cup earlier in the campaign, Guardiola’s side could complete a first ever domestic treble in English football when they face Watford in the FA Cup final at Wembley on Saturday.

Guardiola topped the vote ahead of Jurgen Klopp, Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino, who has led Spurs to their first ever Champions League final, and Nuno Espirito Santo of Wolves, who finished seventh in their first season back in the top flight.

Woods, who ended an 11-year major title drought last month at Augusta National, and Koepka, who held off Woods to win last year’s PGA crown, join reigning British Open champion Francesco Molinari of Italy in the feature group of the first two days.

“I’m just looking forward to playing with him,” Koepka said of Woods. “I don’t think we’ve really been paired together too much, especially over the last couple years. It’ll definitely be interesting.”

It’s the same layout where Woods won the 2002 US Open and shared sixth behind winner Lucas Glover at a rain-hit 2009 US Open, both times with the vocal support of New York crowds who made the Long Island trek.

“This week is going to be a lot of fun with the crowds, the excitement that we’ve had here,” Woods said. “The pairing I’m involved in, it’s going to be just a boatload of fun for all of us.”

Woods would match Sam Snead’s career US PGA Tour win record of 82 with a triumph and move within two of the all-time major win mark of 18 by Jack Nicklaus with a victory.

The 43-year-old American would become the 10th oldest major winner, two days older than Ted Ray when he won the 1920 US Open, and match record co-holders Nicklaus and Walter Hagen with a fifth Wanamaker Trophy.

He would also be halfway to a calendar year Grand Slam, the PGA shifting to May for the first time since 1949 in a revamped world golf calendar.

Woods won the first two majors of 2002 at the Masters and US Open at Bethpage, where two inches of rain has soaked the course.

“In order to win this one, driving is going to be at the forefront with the rough as lush as it is,” Woods said. “Fairways are plenty wide because it’s wet. You’ve got to hit it not only straight but you’ve got to hit it far.”

Woods played a practice round last week but will have only two nine-hole sessions this week ahead of what could be an endurance test over the 7,459-yard, par-70 layout.

“This is not only a big course, but this is going to be a long week the way the golf course is set up. This could be a hell of a championship,” Woods said.

“There’s definitely going to be a component to stamina as the week goes on. Four days over a tough championship that is mentally and physically taxing takes its toll.”

– Koepka, McIlroy go long –

Koepka could become the first golfer to own back-to-back titles in two different majors at once, having defended his US Open crown last June at nearby Shinnecock before denying Woods last August at Bellerive.

“I’ve got good memories,” Koepka said. “It’s a fun place to play in front of the fans. They’re all energetic and hopefully you ride that momentum.”

Koepka will hope to take advantage of wet conditions as well.

“Being wet will make those fairways a little bit wider and these greens will be quite receptive,” he said. “If you can’t find the fairway here, I don’t think you’re going to be able to go for the greens.

“I think you’ve got to attack the par-5s. with my length, you’ve got to take advantage of the par-5s and just try to hang on on the rest of them.”

Woods and Koepka join fourth-ranked four-time major winner Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland and England’s second-ranked Justin Rose with a chance to overtake American Dustin Johnson for the world number one ranking this week with a victory.

“It’s a long golf course and it plays even longer with the cold and wet conditions,” McIlroy said. “Length is definitely going to be a big factor this week.

“You have to hit the ball in the fairway. That’s a big stat, driving accuracy. If you start to miss these fairways you’re not going to be able to get to the greens.”

– Intimidating Bethpage –

Bethpage Black surrendered only six sub-par scores in hosting two prior majors.

“You lose a shot or two out there, and you don’t feel like you’re going to get it back. That’s the intimidation factor of Bethpage Black,” Ireland’s Padraig Harrington said. “Bethpage, it really doesn’t give you anything.”

New York fans will give you delight or misery, as when they taunted a waggle-prone Sergio Garcia in 2002.

“Players want to have a buzz,” Harrington said. “New York crowds for me are great. I do like a little bit of boisterousness.”

“I think they’re planning on letting 60,000 in a day here this week,” McIlroy said. “So it’ll be pretty loud.”