John Daly may have been the big attraction but it was his Asian equivalent who claimed the Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie match play crown at Murcar Links yesterday.

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, nicknamed the Asian John Daly because of his burly frame and aggressive approach, beat Sweden’s Robert Karlsson on the 18th hole to win the inaugural tournament and claim his first victory outside of Asia.

The 26-year-old has modelled his game on the big-hitting American golfer, nicknamed Wild Thing, and was delighted to be the last man standing in the 64-player event after his hero Daly exited in the first round.

Aphibarnrat said: “After my first two or three years of playing golf I looked at John Daly’s swing over and over. He has a long back swing and he is a big guy. He was one of my idols, so I studied him closely. He won two majors and was one of the best players in the world. I was so proud to be described as the John Daly of Asia.

https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/sport/sport-editors-picks/655261/thai-is-just-wild-about-a-daly-dose-of-inspiration/