Now a pilot, defending champ gives PGTI event a miss

The PGTI year-ending championship here next week will miss defending champion Pariya Junhasavasdikul, who is busy pursuing a career in flying.
A two-time winner on the Asian Tour, Thailand's Pariya had clinched the Rs 1.5 crore McLeod Russel Tour Championship 2016 to become the first non-Indian winner of the annual event.
But when PGTI invited him for the title defence in the upcoming sixth edition from December 21-24, the 33-year-old, who has been a A licensed pilot since 2004, politely declined.
"We had got in touch with him but he said he has cut down on his golfing commitments and have become a commercial pilot," Uttam Singh Mundy, CEO of the Professional Golf Tour of India said about his interaction with Pariya.

This is for the second time the PGTI event will miss a defending champion after Indian top pro Anirban Lahiri who won the title in 2013 and became a regular at the European and PGA Tours.
A business management graduate of Purdue, the Thai also knows martial arts, but it's flying that he loves the most.

"Definitely flying is my first love. It's really amazing. I'm considering a full-time career in flying from next year. Maybe less of golf," Pariya said after his unwavering final round of one-under 71 en route to lifting the silverware.
"Martials arts is just for my self defence. You never know when you need it," he had said after winning the 2016 title.

Pariya kept his commitments and have competed only in two Asian Tour events this year with no total earning so far.
Pariya broke through in a big way in 2010 by winning his maiden title at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, beating Bangladeshi Siddikur in a play-off.
He claimed his second Asian Tour title at the 2013 Worldwide Holdings Selangor Masters, defeating close friend and regular roommate Baek Seuk-hyun of Korea on the last day.