Not many players can claim to have won three times on the Asian Tour, even fewer to have done so in the same country. Story from 2024 Asian Tour Yearbook.

Thailand’s Thaworn Wiratchant is one of the exceptions. With 18 wins on the Asian Tour, which is the most by any, he tasted victory four times in Taiwan. He claimed the Yeangder TPC twice and won the Taiwan Open and Mercuries Taiwan Masters.

Gaganjeet Bhullar, India’s most successful player on the Asian Tour with 11 titles, has triumphed in Indonesia on five occasions, while Australian Scott Hend won three of his 10 titles in Thailand.

It’s an elite group of serial winners on the Asian Tour which Suteepat Prateeptienchai joined in 2024 after winning the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open.

He became the first player to successfully defend a title on the Asian Tour in seven years after the closest of finishes at Taifong Golf Club.

Suteepat Prateeptienchai.

The Thai golfer showed why he is rated as one of the region’s rising stars by making a birdie on the final hole to beat his young compatriot Runchanapong Youprayong by one.

He birdied the par-five 18th after chipping to two feet while Runchanapong, playing with him in the final group, missed his four from 10 feet moments earlier.

Suteepat shot a four-under-par 68 to finish 22-under, while Runchanapong returned a 69.

“This means so much, I am very happy, and excited,” said Suteepat, who started the day sharing the lead with Runchanapong.

“I made a bogey on six and that made me really angry. It fired me up and then I started making birdies.”

He actually birdied the next three holes and made another on 11 and was two ahead at that point before Runchanapong impressively drew level with birdies on 15 and 17.

The victory continued a remarkable run of form at Taifong and in Taiwan.

Three years earlier he was playing on the Asian Development Tour (ADT), and won the Order of Merit thanks to three wins in Indonesia and a second-place finish in Taifong – when it was the ADT’s season-ending tournament.

A year later he went one better in Taifong, when the event was played on the Asian Tour for the first time, while two months before successfully defending his Taifong title he was victorious in the Yeangder TPC, also in Chinese-Taipei.

Runchanapong Youprayong.

Added the 31-year-old: “Even my caddie said when I play here, I always have a chance.”

Suteepat is also the first player to defend the Taiwan Glass Taifong Open.

In addition, the win gave him a three-year exemption on the Asian Tour.

Runchanapong, just 23 years old and in his second season in the pro game, found a fairway bunker off the tee on the last and wasn’t able to reach the green in two like Suteepat, although he hit a brilliant third in close.

“I thought that last putt was left edge but when I putted it didn’t move at all. It was a mis-read,” he said.

“I have never been in this position on the Asian Tour before, so it definitely feels very special to come second.

“I am happy, thought I handled the pressure well even though I did not have my A game.”

India’s S.S.P. Chawrasia was the last player to successfully defend a title when triumphed in the Hero Indian Open in 2017.

Chinese-Taipei’s Hung Chien-yao and Chonlatit Chuenboonngam from Thailand closed with 68s to tie for third, four behind the champion.

Thailand’s Danthai Boonma and Jack Thompson from Australia fired 70s and finished another two strokes back.