Golf-Thai trio join Asian team for Royal Trophy

BANGKOK, Dec 18 (Reuters) - Thai trio Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Marksaeng and Chapchai Nirat will join the Asia team to face Ryder Cup holders Europe in the Royal Trophy early next year, organisers said on Tuesday.

Thongchai returns to the team for the third successive year while Prayad and Chapchai, the Asian Tour order of merit runner up, will make their debuts in the matchplay event from Jan. 11-13 in Chon Buri, east of Bangkok.

Thongchai, an eight-times winner on the Asian Tour and first on the circuit to net over $2 million in prize money, said the contest was the ideal opportunity to show how much Asian golf had improved.

"Our Asian team is shaping up to the strongest one we have fielded so far," he said in a statement.

"We all recognise that a victory over Europe, who have dominated their Ryder Cup battles with America in recent years, would show the rest of the world that Asian golf is a force to be reckoned with."

Europe, captained by five-times major winner Seve Ballesteros, won the inaugural Royal Trophy in 2006 by two points but returned a year later with a far stronger team to thrash Asia 12-1/2 to 3-1/2.

"The first two Royal Trophy competitions were memorable events but Europe were strong favourites because they have so much knowledge of team golf," added Thongchai, who used to sell discarded golf balls to the rich businessmen who played at a course near his home.

"Most of the individual matches were very close, and I think we have all learned a lot about the best strategy for matchplay events."