This file photo taken on April 7, 2006 shows Thai tennis player Paradorn Srichaphan eyeing a return during his Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Zone Group 1 second round match against Japan in Bangkok. Despite taking up the game of golf just two years ago, the 33-year-old Paradorn is hopeful of making the unusual transition to a pro career, and this week he will make his second invitational appearance on Southeast Asia’s ASEAN PGA Tour tomorrow.
BANGKOK: He’s a former top-10 tennis player who has dabbled in politics, business and acting. Now Thailand’s Paradorn Srichaphan is taking on possibly his most ambitious challenge -- professional golf.
Despite taking up the game just two years ago, the 33-year-old is hopeful of making the unusual transition to a pro career, and this week he will make his second invitational appearance on Southeast Asia’s ASEAN PGA Tour.
“To make a living (from golf) is not my goal,” Paradorn said, according to a press release from tour organisers. “My goal is to be the first Asian athlete changing from other another sport to play professional golf.
“Scott Draper from Australia, a top 50 player in world at tennis, he turned pro in Australia playing golf -- he was the first one. I want to do the same and create history for a Thai athlete.”
Other top tennis players have tried their hand at the capricious game of golf, including Ivan Lendl, the eight-time Grand Slam winner and current coach of Andy Murray, who has competed in a handful of professional events. Rafael Nadal and Pete Sampras are also keen players, while Andy Roddick caddied for Zach Johnson at the par-three contest before the 2011 US Masters.
For Paradorn, it’s a return to competitive sport after a wrist injury -- originally sustained while racing motorbikes -- forced him to retire from tennis in 2010, ending a career that took him to ninth in the world.
Paradorn, who has also spent time as a Buddhist monk, has had mixed fortunes in recent years, splitting from his wife, former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova, and announcing a bid to stand for parliament in 2011.
From tomorrow, Paradorn will put his skills to the test at the $100,000 Singha Pattaya Open, his second outing on the ASEAN PGA Tour after missing the cut at the Singha Esan Open in February. But he may be mindful of some cautionary words from Sampras, uttered ruefully after a tough outing on the course.
AFP
