Former Thai star Paradorn courts golf career

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. Among his varied portfolio of ventures, he has also opened a restaurant, launched a health supplement billed as a herbal alternative to Viagra, and played a leading role in 2010 Thai movie "Bang Rajan 2". But a chance encounter in 2011 with a childhood friend, who is now a golf professional, introduced him to the game and he now practises daily at clubs in Bangkok and Pattaya. From Thursday, 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 with back-to-back 81s 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. "In tennis, you can make a couple of mistakes and still win. Not in golf," said the 14-time Grand Slam winner. Source: AFP