“TK” sets world record!
Ratchanon Chantananuwat, Thailand’s teenage golf sensation, finally achieved the impossible today when he claimed the US$750,000 Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup – becoming the youngest male player to win on one of the game’s major Tours.
The 15-year-old amateur –– fired a seven-under-par 65 to finish on 20 under and beat Korean Joohyung Kim by two shots at Siam Country Club’s Waterside Course.
Kim, aged 19, returned a 64 while American lefthander Paul Peterson and Bio Kim from Korea ended third one stroke behind after firing 68 and 69 respectively.
Ratchanon at 15 years old and 37 days improved upon the previous best youngest winner mark set by Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, who was 15 years and eight months when won the Japan Tour’s 2007 Munsingwear Open KSB Cup.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Ratchanon Chantananuwat, 15 year old amateur of Thailand, pictured on Sunday April 10, 2022 during round four of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
And on the Asian Tour Thailand’s Chinnarat Phadungsil had been the previous youngest champion, having claimed the 2005 Double A International Open when he was 17 years and five days old.
In one of the most captivating and historic finishes to an Asian Tour event, a whole host of players were in contention on the back nine.
But Ratchanon, playing in the penultimate group, made the decisive move when he birdied 14 and 15, for a three-shot lead over the chasing pack.
His cause was also helped when Kim, playing two groups ahead, found water on 17 and made bogey.
That appeared to hand victory to Ratchanon but Kim sensationally holed a 15 footer for eagle on the par-five 18th to get to 18 under and give the young Thai golfer a one-shot lead playing the last.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Joohyung Kim of Korea pictured on Sunday April 10, 2022 during round four of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Once again showing maturity beyond his years, Ratchanon split the fairway with his drive, laid up safely short and holed a birdie putt from 12 feet.
“I am very excited, but I felt a lot of pressure,” said Ratchanon.
“I got to be honest, I got pretty lucky, I had hit two or three terrible drives. I saw that [Kim eagled 10] and was not surprised, he pulls off that stuff all the time. It put pressure on me but I tried not to look at it too much. I definitely have a lot of people to thank.”
The rising star, who studies at Shrewsbury International School Bangkok, has no plans to turn professional and will compete in the upcoming SEA Games in Vietnam.
He said: “This has been my plan all along. I enjoy going to college and learning everything. I have talked to a lot of players, and they have all said go to college.”
He also became the fifth amateur to win on the Asian Tour and first since 2009.
Kim, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, had the consolation of receiving the US$135,000 winners’ cheque.
“Made a careless mistake on 17 but recovered well with the eagle but let’s face it, TK deserves this. There is no stopping him. But this week has given me a lot of confidence for the season ahead,” said Kim.
Four-time Asian Tour winner John Catlin from the United States returned a 67 to finish in outright fifth, while in a tie for sixth was 17-year-old Chanoknan Angurasaranee from Thailand.
The US$750,000 tournament marked the first time the Asian Tour have staged a mixed event, as it is being jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET).
PATTAYA-THAILAND- L-R- Paul Peterson of the USA looks at his tee shot on the 2nd tee with Ratchanon Chantananuwat, 15 year old amateur of Thailand on Sunday April 10, 2022 during round four of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Competitors move to the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge next week, to be played at the same venue and boasts the same prizemoney.
The inaugural tournament will use the Modified Stableford scoring format.
Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and Bio Kim from Korea both shot four-under-par 68s to take the third-round lead on 14 under in the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup today.
They lead by a stroke from Thailand’s rising female star Jaravee Boonchant (66) and her amateur compatriot Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat (70) plus American lefthander Paul Peterson (68).
The US$750,000 tournament marks the first time the Asian Tour have staged a mixed event, as it is being jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET).
The stacked leaderboard suggests a thrilling final day tomorrow which will also be a rematch between Phachara and Bio, who played together in the final pairing of the Laguna Phuket Championship in December which the former won.
“I played very well today,” said 22-year-old Phachara, whose win in Phuket was his first victory on the Asian Tour.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Bio Kim of the USA pictured on Saturday April 9, 2022 during round three of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“However, I should have done better. I played to my plan. The weather and course conditions did not affect me much because I have planned what to do. In the final round, I will create more opportunities for myself to shoot lower. I will focus more on putting, to make it better. I will just focus on my game and not being the champion.”
The Thai star, currently in second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit, will also be seeking redemption on Sunday as he had a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the International Series Thailand last month but finished runner-up to American Sihwan Kim.
Bio Kim is looking to secure his first title on the Asian Tour. He led the Phuket event by one shot from Phachara before tying for second place.
“It’s going to be a great final round. Phachara is a bomber!” said Bio Kim, who has finished in the top-10 in six of his last seven starts on the Asian Tour.
“I am not going to put pressure on myself, there are so many variables. A win on the Asian Tour would mean so much to me. I have had a great run of results recently so I am not far away.”
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Jaravee Boonchant of Thailand pictured on Saturday April 9, 2022 during round three of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Ratchanon, aged 15, started the day in a share of the lead with Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen, who carded a 76 and slipped back to seven under.
Said the Thai youngster: “I definitely felt some pressure today, particularly over some putts. But I am learning all the time. I didn’t play very well and I am not making the putts. But I am now in the penultimate group tomorrow, so that’s an advantage.”
Jaravee, aged 22, shot the lowest round of the day to move into contention.
“The golf course is in great condition. It looks very pretty, and the greens are very nice, the ball is rolling pretty well. I love it and I like how they set it up,” she said.
“I think I hit my driver better today, so I put myself in good positions on the greens and holed a few today too. Most of the birdie putts were quite short because I was in a good position. I am trying not to focus on the outcome, I’m trying to stick to the plan and play how I have been playing this week so far.”
She graduated from Duke University in June last year, turned professional immediately after and claimed her first professional title at Thailand LPGA Masters at the end of last year.
Another of Thailand’s exciting young lady golfers, 17-year-old Chanoknan Angurasaranee carded a 67 and is one shot back in solo sixth.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Ratchanon Chantananuwat, 15 year old amateur of Thailand, pictured on Saturday April 9, 2022 during round three of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Four-time Asian Tour winner John Catlin from the United States made the most of moving day by firing a 66 and is just three behind the leaders, in joint seventh.
Last season’s Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim from Korea carded a 69 and is 10 under, while current number one Sihwan Kim return a 71 and is a shot further behind.
A prized and timely win on a one of the major tours can have an immediate and huge effect on a player’s career trajectory, writes Olle Nordberg – Contributing Editor, Asian Tour
As Anirban Lahiri recently said the week before finishing runner up at the Players Championship: “The beauty about what we do, is that you’re one week away from being a PGA Tour winner; you’re one week away from being at Augusta; you’re one week away from having a two, three-year exemption; you’re one week away from you having a different kind of conversation with me.”
While India’s Lahiri did not win the Players Championship in the end, his quotes are still very much true. One player who made a big career move recently by winning on the Asian Tour for the first time is Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong – who took home The DGC Open presented by MasterCard at the iconic Delhi Golf Club two weeks ago.
“Now I’m an Asian Tour winner and I’m so happy about it. My status has totally changed, you know,” said Nitithorn, who is performing well at this week’s Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup.
“Before I was a country exemption category player, and now I’m a tournament winner so it’s really getting easier to plan everything. Hopefully I can win again soon, I’m going to keep having a good process and we’ll see what happens.”
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Nitihorn Thippong of Thailand pictured on Thursday April 7, 2022 during round one of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
As a tournament winner Nitithorn Thippong has a two-year exemption on the Asian Tour and can now pick his schedule as he wants, including this year’s elite field International Series events.
It was a win that almost didn’t even have a chance of happening, as he was considering skipping The DGC Open to make sure he would be able to play the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Series events this week and next.
He added: “Before India I finished tied-fourth at the Royal’s Cup in Kanchanaburi, but you know, first I was going to play in the Trust Golf Asian Mixed event in Thailand the same week as India to keep my ranking to play in this week’s event. But my dad said okay, if you have a chance to go to India you must go, because now you’re hitting the tee shots so well. And my caddie also said the same thing, so I thought I’ll go there, and we’ll see. I’ll go and try.”
The 25-year-old Thai is seemingly a very process-oriented player and has set very clear goals for each round and tournament, which he has worked out with his team:
He said: “I didn’t expect that I was going to win, I just tried to beat the course every day. My goal right now is I try to play 20-under every tournament, because the winners will have a big round one or two days in a week. My plan with my coach is that I want to shoot six-under or more every two days. I’ll try to do that anyway. I’m really happy about the win, but you know, the goal is to try to play more under than that. But yeah, I’m happy, I’m really happy about the result.”
Having just won the biggest title of his young career it would be easy to relax and enjoy the moment with family and friends, but Nitithorn Thippong does not plan to let that change his outlook on things.
“I think I got more confidence after winning The DGC Open, but right now I have to put that down and just keep playing the same, if you know what I mean? For me winning gave me a bit more confidence, but everything’s going to be the same,” said the Thai.
Nitithorn Thippong had already gotten off to a good start to his 2022 season, finishing tied-fourth in both the Royal’s Cup and the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship on the All Thailand Golf Tour, but what was the key to his success at Delhi Golf Club?
“The key for me at that tournament, I hit my tee shots pretty straight and they were good at the time. So, I think on that course the tee shots were key for me, and I hit them well that week,” he said.
“It was my second time playing at Delhi Golf Club, and the last time I played it they didn’t have much rough on both sides of the fairway. Now they have more rough, so it’s easier to make the ball stay in the fairway. But they changed the greens also, the greens are so hard now. I was getting big bounces all the time, even in the fairways. So, when you hit into the rough, it was pretty difficult to hit it on the green too.”
NEW DELHI – INDIA – Nitihorn Thippong of Thailand celebrates on the 18th green during round four of the DGC Open presented by Mastercard at the Delhi Golf Club on Sunday March 27, 2022. The US$ 500.000 Asian Tour event is staged from March 24-27, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
This week he is off to a solid start at the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup, sitting four under par after two rounds, and is very much enjoying his time competing alongside the women from the Ladies European Tour and Trust Golf Tour.
“Playing in the Mixed Asian Series events like this week, it’s great to see how some of the female players play, they play quite differently than the guys. The girls hit it so straight and their short games are so good, so it’s good to play with them to get some new experiences. The girls are putting so good and hit it so straight, I think straighter than me. And the chance to get to know some of the other players, that’s a good thing too.”
Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat’s maturity was on display once again today when he comfortably handled the pressure of putting together a solid round the day after a super low score when he added a second round two-under-par 70 to his opening 63 to share the lead at the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup.
The young Thai maestro moved to 11 under, on the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club, along with Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen, who also shot 70 – the ideal way to celebrate her birthday.
The pair had shared the overnight lead in the US$750,000 tournament which marks the first time the Asian Tour have staged a mixed event, as it is being jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET).
“There was a lot more wind today than yesterday, so tough conditions but overall I am not really happy with the way I played,” said 15-year-old Ratchanon.
“It wasn’t a great round, but it wasn’t that bad either. I scrambled two under and I am still in the lead, which is okay, but I could have been better.”
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Sanna Nuutinen of Finland pictured on Friday April 8, 2022 during round two of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
He was even for his round, which he started on 10, with five to play but made birdies on five and six to put himself in a very strong position heading into the weekend.
He added: “I am still happy with how I played yesterday considering how little I prepared for this tournament. Today I was trying to build on as much as possible and not lose many strokes.
“[For the weekend] I am just going to try and play like yesterday and go as deep as possible and play with less pressure.”
Nuutinen turned 31 today and like Ratchanon held firm at the top as she goes in search of her first LET win.
“I found the conditions a bit tougher today. The morning conditions were super windy, but now it’s dying down a bit and a couple of pins were tucked,” she said.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand fist bumbs playing partner Sanna Nuutinen of Finland on their last hole on Friday April 8, 2022 during round two of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“It is my birthday today. I will see what the girls have planned for me later on. The problem is I might enjoy the practice facilities too much, so I need my caddie to make sure I get on the bus to go to the hotel.”
She made four birdies and two bogeys, as did Ratchanon.
Bio Kim from Korea, South African Ian Snyman and Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai are one shot back after rounds of 67, 67 and 69 respectively. Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol carded a 68 and is a further stroke behind with American Paul Peterson (66).
“Finished two rounds with double digits, which is always good and I am happy I am getting an interview which is always good. My game is on and off, my ball striking is a bit iffy. I was missing here and there with some of the shots, somehow, I got out of it and capitalized on the chances I had,” said Kim.
“At the moment I am not trying to go get something, I am trying to focus on my game. One shot at a time. To be honest with my ball striking and rhythm I need to get a little more sharper to reach the goals I want to achieve.
“I am losing shots to the right, somehow I got to fix it and go to the range, maybe a timing issue.”
Said Phachara: “Today my game was good although I made a double bogey. Overall, my performance over two days is acceptable and as planned. The only thing to improve is my putting. Will have to practice more on this. There was no problem with the windy condition, I am used to it. The remaining two days I will fight and keep to my ow game plan.”
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Bio Kim of Korea plays with his golf ball on the 8th tee on Friday April 8, 2022 during round two of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
The 22-year-old Thai star won the Laguna Phuket Championship in December for his first win on the Asian Tour.
American Sihwan Kim, the current leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, returned his second successive 68 and is just three behind the leaders.
Last season’s Merit list champion Joohyung Kim from Korea impressed with a 65 and is seven under.
Thailand’s Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat started this week by saying he was short of practice because he was busy with his studies but that certainly did not show today as the irrepressible 15-year-old amateur star shot a nine-under-par 63 to share the lead in the inaugural Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup.
His magical round was matched by Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen, a member of the Ladies European Tour (LET), on the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club, while Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai and Hung Chien-yao from Chinese-Taipei carded 65s.
The US$750,000 tournament marks the first time the Asian Tour have staged a mixed event, as it is being jointly sanctioned with the LET.
Ratchanon has now shot two 63s in his last three rounds on the Asian Tour, the first one coming in the third round of the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club last month.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Sanna Nuutinen of Finland pictured on Thursday April 7, 2022 during round one of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“The one thing I have seen with these two 63s is I am not expecting anything,” said the Thai.
“At Black Mountain I birdied 18 to just make the cut, and then I shot nine under with zero expectations. The last three weeks since Black Mountain I have not been playing very much, I have been doing a lot of schoolwork. Out of the six or seven events I have played on the Asian Tour this one is the least I am prepared for, and yet I shot nine under, so I am going to have to start doing something with these low expectations.”
He made an eagle and three birdies on the front and four birdies on the homeward half.
He added: “Obviously with a start like this I am going to try and win it. I now know my approaches aren’t as bad as I thought. I won’t be upset if I don’t shoot nine under again, but I will try and go for as many birdies as possible and make the least bogeys as possible.”
The brilliant young golfer has not missed the cut in his six starts on the Asian Tour and finished third in The Singapore International in January.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand, pictured on Thursday April 7, 2022 during round one of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Nuutinen’s mightily impressive round was built upon an incredible first nine eight-under-par 28, consisting of eight birdies and a par on five. A birdie on 10 suggested a phenomenal score was on the cards but the birdies dried up and she dropped a shot on 17 before making a birdie on 18 to catch Ratchanon, who was playing in the group ahead.
“I don’t really hole out much in practice rounds so I never really know if it’s coming,” said 30-year-old Nuutinen, who has won three times on the LET Access Series.
“I know I have been doing a lot of good work technique-wise, a little bit in putting. I actually flew home from LA [from LPGA events] to Finland for four days before coming here which was a change of plan. I think that was worth it to see my coaches for a couple of days and this happens next.”
She said: “I would be lying if I said I didn’t think about 59 because I did but it was just at one point. I told myself let’s see how low you can go, nothing really changed after I was nine-under I just kept going. Sometimes I have been in that situation before, and you might get a little bit defensive but I’m too old for that.”
Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen and Meghan Maclaren from England are in fifth after firing 66s.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Hung Chien-yao of Chinese Taipei pictured on Thursday April 7, 2022 during round one of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Current Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Sihwan Kim from the United States, who won the International Series Thailand came in with a 68, as did his compatriot and four-time Asian Tour winner John Catlin.
South African Ian Snyman, Kyongjun Moon from Korea and two of Thailand’s leading teenage lady golfers Arpichaya Yubol and Chanoknan Angurasaranee hold the clubhouse lead midway through the opening day of the inaugural Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup today.
They shot five-under-par 67s on the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club – in a US$750,000 tournament that marks the first time the Asian Tour have staged a mixed event, as it is being jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET).
Snyman, in his rookie season on the Asian Tour, appears to still be on a high after finishing equal third in the International Series Thailand last month for his best finish on the Asian Tour.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Kyongjun Moon of Korea pictured on Thursday April 7, 2022 during round one of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“I think I am just getting used to the Asian Tour now, the tournament atmosphere, how everything works,” said the South African.
“I think there is a lot less stress now. In the beginning there was lot of external stress, like the flight tickets, the grab taxes, I didn’t know how Asia worked. I started to figure that out with my coach Paul McKenzie, we are just doing the same things staying consistent, and fine tuning.”
It’s the first time he has played in a mixed event and he is enjoying the experience.
He added: “First time playing in a mixed event, so far so good. The pace of play was great. I played with Becky [Brewerton], she was awesome, she was friendly, we talked a lot about the set up of the golf course, it was a great time out there today.”
Moon’s performance was remarkable considering it his first competitive round for six months.
“I have had a problem with tennis elbow for six months, so this is my first tournament since that started. Everything felt great today, maybe the long break did me some good,” said the Korean.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Arpichaya Yubol of Thailand pictured on Thursday April 7, 2022 during round one of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
However, the highlight of the morning session was Arpichaya and Chanoknan’s rounds as both youngsters compete on the local Thai LPGA Tour.
Last year, Arpichaya was Thai LPGA Order of Merit champion, and also won the Thailand Mixed Hosted by Trust Golf.
Said the 19 year old: “I was very excited to be playing today as this is such a big match, also great to play with international players. And I have played with male golfers quite a lot. I am very happy with my performance.”
Chanoknan, just 17 years old, was equally thrilled with her round.
PATTAYA-THAILAND- Chanoknan Angurasaranee of Thailand pictured on Thursday April 7, 2022 during round one of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup at Siam Country Club, Waterside Course, Pattaya, Thailand. The US$ 750.000 event is co-sanctioned between the Ladies European Tour and the Asian Tour, April 7-10, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Really happy today with my drives and approach shots. I prepared very well for this week and my caddie was a great help guiding me round,” said the teenager.
American John Catlin, a four-time winner on the Asian Tour, returned a 68, with half the field still to complete their first round.
Thailand’s 15-year-old amateur marvel “TK” Ratchanon Chantananuwat will add another string to his bow this week when he competes in the Asian Tour’s first ever mixed event, the US$750,000 Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour, and says he has every expectation that “the ladies here can bomb it!”.
The tournament tees-off tomorrow at Siam Country Club’s Waterside Course and is being jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET).
“I am very excited, this is definitely something different,” said the youngster.
“I am going to assume a lot of the ladies here can bomb it! I am not going to overlook the importance of making the cut as there could be 40 girls who make the cut this week and that’s going to be tough. If I make the cut, then I am going for the win. There’s a lot of World Ranking points this week so I am going to get as many as I can.”
Making the cut has never been an issue for him: he has made it through to the weekend in all six events he has played in since the end of last year. He nearly won one of them, The Singapore International, where he placed third.
He has been paired with Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord, a five-time Ladies European Tour winner, and Ursula Wikstrom from Finland for the first two days.
There’s no doubt the teen titan will impress, although he has been bogged down studying and preparing for exams recently.
“Honestly, I have been up to a lot of schoolwork, so haven’t had as much chance to do some serious practice,” he said.
SINGAPORE- Ratchanon Chantananuwat, 14 yr old amateur of Thailand pictured celebrating with his father / caddie on green No 4 during round two, Friday January 14, 2022, at The Singapore International golf event at Tanah Merah Country Club, (Tampines Course). The US$1 million Asian Tour event is being staged January 13-16, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“Over the weekend and past few days, I have been doing a bit more golf, so I am getting more and more ready. I still need to put in a little more work at the range today, but I should be ready by tomorrow.”
In his last outing on the Asian Tour, he tied for 11th in the International Series Thailand last month.
Said Ratchanon: “I got a ton of exams, it’s building up because it’s almost June and I also have the SEA Games coming up, it’s not a big, big, tournament but it’s not me anymore this is for the country, and I don’t want to disappoint. I am doing two IGCSE subjects early, biology and economics so that’s also in May two days before I fly so I have to do extra schoolwork and extra golf so it’s probably the hardest time for me to balance the two right now. If I want to win, I need to practice more.”
This week’s ground-breaking tournament features 60 Asian Tour players and 60 LET players, along with 24 sponsor invitations, playing for the same prize fund and trophy. The only difference is the women are playing off forward tees.
Competitors will stay on for the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge next week at the same venue. The event will also boast a purse of US$750,000 and be jointly sanctioned by the two Tours.
Each tournament will offer Official World Golf Ranking points, and count towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit and LET’s Race to the Costa del Sol.
Sihwan Kim is leaving no room for complacency following his breakthrough win in the professional game at the International Series Thailand just over a month ago, which installed him as the Asian Tour’s current number one player.
The American is competing in this week’s US$750,000 Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup on the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club in Pattaya – an event jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour (LET), which marks the first time the Asian Tour has staged a mixed event – and is looking to build on the momentum of his recent success.
“It feels good [to be number one] but I need to try and continue playing well, trying to do more work,” said the 33-year-old.
“I just took a lot of confidence from the win. Winning is good but I just need to keep on playing as well as I have been, it will be great to win more and finish number one on the Asian Tour Order of Merit but that comes in later in the year.”
Kim’s victory was the culmination of a fine run of form on the Asian Tour which saw him play in the final pairing on Sunday on three occassions. He failed to secure top spot in those events – he was joint second in the Royal’s Cup, joint fourth in the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship, and fourth in the SMBC Singapore Open – but it proved to be an important learning experience.
“I think it was all the tournaments leading up to it that helped me win in the end. I had been close in Phuket and Singapore and getting more comfortable playing in the last group or second to last group,” he said.
HUA HIN-THAILAND- Sihwan Kim of the USA pictured with the winner’s trophy on Thursday March 6, 2022 after the final round of The International Series Thailand at Black Mountain Golf Club, Prachaubkhirikhan, Thailand. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged between March 3 – 6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
“There was a huge sense of relieve. I had been close so many times before winning finally, and it was more of a relieve getting that monkey off my back rather than happiness that was my first emotion.”
He played the Qatar Masters before taking last week off and heads a strong line-up this week in a tournament featuring 60 Asian Tour players and 60 LET players, along with 24 sponsor invitations, playing for the same prize fund and trophy. The only difference is the women are playing off forward tees.
Added Kim: “I just plan to keep it in the fairway and stay hydrated. I don’t know how long this cool Pattaya weather will last but in Southeast Asian countries just keeping hydrated and getting some fuel and nutrition into you is very important.”
Competitors will stay on for the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge next week at the same venue. The event will also boast a purse of US$750,000 and be jointly sanctioned by the two Tours.
Each tournament will offer Official World Golf Ranking points, and count towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit and LET’s Race to the Costa del Sol.
As Panuphol Pittayarat explains in his entry for his March diary he has only just started playing again as he battles a shoulder injury. “Coconut”, as best we know him, has had cryotherapy, physiotherapy and dry needle treatment plus more to try and get back on Tour, and while he is still not 100% he does plan to compete in next week’s Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup in Pattaya.
March
Since my diary last month, I was hoping to be able to play the International Series Thailand at Black Mountain, but unfortunately, I wasn’t able to because of my [shoulder] injury. I took a long break and decided to rest instead.
I was basically out of action from the Monday of Royal’s Cup week until just four or five days ago. At the moment I still have some pain after I hit balls, but I think it’s getting better because I know how to treat it now.
I went to do a lot of stuff to try to fix it during the time off. Physiotherapy of course, but also cryotherapy at the place where Jacob Fleck, who caddies for Joohyung Kim, used to work. Cryotherapy is an ice-cold chamber; you go in there and it’s minus 140C degrees and you stay in there for three minutes. I went to do some dry needles treatment too.
I actually also went to Samitivej Hospital in Bangkok and got injected with some medicine. I’m not sure what they put in me, so I don’t want to guess what it was called. It was some pain relief medicine I think, but it hasn’t really helped me that much. I probably went to see four or five doctors during this whole time off.
Now I am doing better, and I have just started practicing again for the last four or five days. At the moment, it’s kind of a bit tight again. They call what I have a bulging disc, it’s kind of slipped out a bit. Maybe the same thing that Tiger Woods had years ago. It’s in the C4, C5 and C6 vertebrae which is where it goes into my neck, shoulder and shoulder blades.
Next week I am going to play the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup in Pattaya. No matter what, I will be there. I’m just going to go see what I can do with what I have at the moment. I’m confident that I’m going to be playing, but I’m not very confident with my A-swing, my A-game because it’s still a little bit in there, the pain, but I’m going to try to get some medicine for pain relief and then go with it.
I’m probably not going to be swinging my strongest swing, but I’ll give it a go. I need to play golf again, I’m sick of staying at home. I could go at full speed if I want, but if I do there’s going to be pain. I could probably hit it 70% right now, and it’s not going to be a lot of turning or a lot of bending. It’s probably going to be like an old man’s swing. Yeah, I might be doing an old man’s swing haha.
During the time off I watched the International Series Thailand on TV, I watched Phachara Khongwatmai a lot during that whole week. Last week I caught the highlights from The DGC Open, Delhi Golf Club looked tough! It was good to see Nitithorn Thippong get his first Asian Tour win, he’s been working hard on his game and practicing a lot, so it was very well deserved. He got his chance to win, and he took it. Delhi Golf Club is not really a power game course, but you have to be very precise. It’s also the same course Kiradech Aphibarnrat got his first Asian Tour win on back in 2011, so maybe it’s a good sign for him.
I haven’t been able to do any cycling lately, but I’ve been doing a lot of walking, a lot of it! Because I haven’t done it for a while, it would be hard to walk 18 holes for, you know, four or five days in a row next week. I learned this lesson from quarantining in Japan last year. I stayed in the room for two weeks, and when I went out to play again, I could barely walk. I never knew that golf was hard to walk until I stopped walking.
During the time off I’ve been very careful about COVID. I haven’t had lunch or any meals with friends; I haven’t played golf with anyone else; haven’t sat around with a lot of people. A lot of people around me got COVID but they all recovered and are fine again now.
That’s it for now, wish me luck in Pattaya!
Reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion Joohyung Kim from Korea and current number one Sihwan Kim from the United States and past Merit list winners from the Ladies European Tour (LET) South African Lee-Anne Pace and Becky Brewerton from Wales are just some of the leading players who will make up the elite field for next week’s Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup.
The ground-breaking tournament – which marks the first time the two Tours have jointly sanctioned an event – will take place on the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club from April 7-10 and will be followed the week after by the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge, at the same venue.
Both events will feature 60 Asian Tour players and 60 LET players, along with 24 sponsor invitations, playing for the same prize fund and trophy. Each tournament will offer a prize fund of US$750,000, along with Official World Golf Ranking points, and they will count towards the Asian Tour Order of Merit and LET’s Race to the Costa del Sol.
Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong, winner of The DGC Open presented by Mastercard last week on the Asian Tour, will also compete along with many of his distinguished compatriots including Jazz Janewattananond, Phachara Khongwatmai, Sadom Kaewkanjana and Pavit Tangkamolprasert.
Lee-Anne Pace of Republic of South Africa (Photo by Pedro Salado/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)
Australian Scott Hend, winner of 10 titles on the Asian Tour, and nine-time champion Gaganjeet Bhullar from India have also entered along with American John Catlin and Shiv Kapur from India, who have both won on four occasions.
Thailand’s golf phenom Ratchanon Chantananuwat, popularly known as “TK”, has also been invited to compete. The 15-year-old amateur star has not missed the cut in the six events he has played in since the Asian Tour restarted at the end of last year and finished third in The Singapore International.
There will be 14 LET winners and two Race to Costa del Sol champions in the field of 60 female competitors.
Pace and Brewerton will be joined by fellow Tour veterans Marianne Skarpnord of Norway, Lydia Hall of Wales, Kylie Henry from Scotland, Sweden’s Jenny Haglund and English pair Felicity Johnson and Florentyna Parker.
Sweden’s Johanna Gustavsson, ranked fourth on the current Race to Costa del after two top-10 finishes in her first three events of the season, including a tie for second in the Aramco Saudi Ladies International, will also compete as well as sixth ranked Kim Metraux of Switzerland, eighth ranked Nicole Garcia of South Africa and LET winners Alice Hewson and Maria Hernandez of Spain, who are tied for 10th respectively.
Rising star Maja Stark from Sweden, who started last year as an amateur but ended the year with three professional wins – two of which were on the LET – will be making her season debut in the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup. After turning professional last summer, the 23-year-old won on her home course to secure her maiden title on the LET Access Series and then won the Creekhouse Ladies Open and the Estrella Damm Ladies Open on the LET. The former PING Junior Solheim Cup player finished sixth on the 2021 Race to Costa del Sol Rankings despite having played in just six events as a member.
Other leading players in the field include Sanna Nuutinen of Finland, who finished fourth on Tour last year after nine top-10 finishes, former winner Diksha Dagar of India and two-time LET champion Meghan MacLaren from England, making her LET season debut.
The Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge will be held the following week, from April 13-16, and will feature a very similar line-up of players.
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