Hendry takes relaxed approach to Thailand Open
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Rising star Michael Hendry from New Zealand may have stolen the OneAsia limelight at the Indonesia Open presented by Enjoy Jakarta, but his approach to next week's Thailand Open will remain calm and focused.
The 30-year-old has spent the past weeks in North Harbour working on building renovations to his home. Work on the four-bedroom nest, which had its foundations laid down in May, is due to complete before he travels to Thailand next week.
The Thailand Open debuts on OneAsia at Burapha Golf Club from August 26-29 with a record prize purse of US$1 million.
"Winning the Indonesia Open presented by Enjoy Jakarta somehow seems like a lifetime ago," said Hendry of the seven-week-ago tournament. "The euphoria of winning has settled and I've only played one pro-am since, so I'm a bit underdone at the moment to be honest."
He said, "I have no expectations for the tournament. I just hope to make the cut week and maybe finish in the top 20 for the week. There are a lot more OneAsia tournaments coming up so it'll be nice to just get back into the game and have a few light weeks of playing as I gear up for the rest of the season."
Hendry's sporting career started in cricket, where he played for New Zealand's under-19 cricket team and later represented Auckland. He opted to focus on golf when he became 24 and turned professional in 2004.
His breakthrough victory in Indonesia earned him US$180,000, his biggest win to date, propelling him nearly 300 spots on the world golf rankings after finishing seven shots ahead of China's number one, Liang Wenchong.
Hendry, currently New Zealand's money list leader, will tee off with Liang once again next week.
Liang, who jumped to 60th in the world rankings after his magnificent eighth place finish in last week's PGA Championship, has made it clear that he is gunning for a OneAsia Order of Merit win this year.
A victory in the Thailand Open could see him leapfrog Korea's Y.E. Yang and into first place with five tournaments remaining on the 2010 schedule.
"I know Liang played and did well at the PGA Champs last week," said Hendry. "I haven't really thought about the pressure of playing with Liang again especially since I've been on this break and focusing on what's going on at home. It'll be good to get out and on course with him again."
Hendry's ever-supportive wife Tara, a travel consultant by trade, will accompany him in Pattaya and caddy for him next week. A marathon-runner in her own right, Hendry has no doubt she will make for a great companion during the tournament.
Fellow countrymen Gareth Paddison and Brenden Stuart, who performed the Haka in honour of Hendry's Indonesian win, will also lead the charge of eight Kiwi professionals set to tee off at the Burapha Golf Club next week.
Highly popular Shingo Katayama, Japan's number one on five occasions and the winner of 26 events on the lucrative circuit during a brilliant career, will also tee it up at Burapha Golf Club.
Local Thai heroes to start next week also include former Asian number one, Thaworn Wiratchant, the colourful Udorn Duangdecha and young gun Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
This year's Thailand Open is being co-sponsored by Singha Corporation, PTT Public Company Limited, Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), Emirates, and CAT Telecom Public Company Limited.
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