Ghei wants to add Volvo Masters to collection : Sports

Bangkok, Nov 22 - Indian golfer Gaurav Ghei, who is playing in the World Cup this week, will be the country's main challenger at the end-of-season Volvo Masters of Asia. Also in the field will be Shiv Kapur, S.S.P. Chowrasia and Rahil Gangjee. Those are the four Indians sure of being in the top-60 of the Money List.

The top-60 players on the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit after the Cambodian Open will be eligible to compete in the Volvo Masters of Asia which is being played at the magnificent Thai Country Club for the third successive year.

While Kapur won the Volvo Masters in 2005, Ghei has never won it and is keen on becoming the third Indian to do so. Jyoti Randhawa had done so in 2004.

This season neither Randhawa nor Jeev Milkha Singh -- who won the UBS Asian Tour order of Merit last season -- will play the Volvo Masters because they have not completed the required quota of events on Asian Tour.

The evergreen Frankie Minoza of the Philippines is eager to go one better than last year and win the end-of-season Volvo Masters of Asia next month. Minoza finished second to local hero Thongchai Jaidee at the Thai Country Club last year after a thrilling final-day tussle.

The 48-year-old Minoza, a former Asian number one and regular winner on the Japan Tour, carried over that form into the 2007 season with an emotional home victory in the Philippine Open in February and runner-up spot at the Indonesia Open a fortnight later.

Minoza with $147,156 is currently placed 17th after spending most of the season playing on the Japan Tour.

Minoza comes into the $750,000 Volvo Masters of Asia on a high after his recent victory at the ABC Championship on the Japan Golf Tour. That was his seventh triumph in Japan and took his career tally to 16 victories.

'It has been a great season for me,' said Minoza. 'After I won the Philippine Open my dream was to win two tournaments in one year before I reached 50 years -- and I did it. That was a dream come true but I still have time to win a third tournament at the Volvo Masters of Asia.'

The Volvo Masters of Asia at Thai Country Club Dec 6-9 will be Minoza's eighth tournament on the trot but he believes his passion for the game will keep him firing on all cylinders.