Thailand Golf Legend Thongchai Jaidee celebrated his 40th birthday with a top-20 finish at the WGC-HSBC Champions at the weekend and then turned his attentions back to the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit race.

Jaidee fired a two-under-par 70 at the Sheshan International Golf Club for a share of 19th place on eight-under-par 280 in the US$7 million event, which was Asia’s first staging of a World Golf Championships tournament.

Thongchai, the current Order of Merit leader thanks to two victories this season, couldn’t buy a putt in his final 18 holes but declared that his game was in top shape ahead of next week’s event in Hong Kong, which marks the resumption of the Merit race. Only China’s Liang Wen-chong can deny him an unprecedented third Merit crown.

Asian Tour Media Release