Chiangmai (Thailand), Nov 8 (IANS): Major champion Jason Dufner hopes to make the most out of his debut at the $750,000 Chiangmai Golf Classic that starts Nov 13.

The American will headline the Asian Tour event alongside title holder Scott Hend of Australia, Major champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa and reigning Asian number one Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand at the Alpine Golf Resort Chiangmai.

“It will be my first time to Thailand and I’m excited. I know my wife wants to ride some elephants if we have the chance. I know it sounds touristy but these are the great things about travelling to different countries. You get to experience the culture and share the game of golf to people,” said Dufner.

The Chiangmai Golf Classic will be Dufner’s fourth tournament since returning from a neck injury which put him on the sidelines for more than a month and caused him to slip down the Official World Golf Ranking where he is currently ranked 35th.

“My game is shaping up nicely. I played okay in Australia. I had some rust in my game but still had a lot of things going for me. Most importantly, my health is better and hopefully I can challenge for the title in Thailand,” he said.

“I didn't have the best of years this year or the worst of years, but I ended up dropping close to 20 spots in the World Rankings, so that shows you how competitive the game is. I enjoy playing in these big tournaments,” added Dufner.

He is bracing himself for a challenging week as the leading Asian Tour lights including Hend, who won his sixth Asian Tour title at the Hong Kong Open last month, will form an exciting line-up next week.

“You know, being a competitive person, wanting to play at a high level, this game always keeps you sharp. It's very tough to stay at the top. There's lots of good players. Guys are always trying to get better, play at a higher level, so you always have to stay on your game,” said the 37-year-old Dufner.