“TK” returns to the Asian Tour after busy four-month schedule
By Olle Nordberg, Contributing Editor – Asian Tour
After playing in the International Series England in Newcastle in early June and a long summer on the road travelling to events such as the LIV Golf Invitational London, the Amateur Championship and U.S. Amateur, Thailand’s teenage phenom Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat will be back on the Asian Tour next week, and ready to tackle the Yeangder TPC, followed by the Mercuries Taiwan Masters, both in Taipei.
“I have definitely missed the Asian Tour and I’m very excited to go to Chinese-Taipei next week,” said the 15-year-old great hope of Thai golf.
“I’ve never been there before, so it will be my first time. I’ve heard from a couple Asian Tour guys that have been there saying the greens and the courses are just very different styles, so I’m very excited to play.”
After Newcastle he went straight from there to the LIV Golf Invitational London at Centurion Club where he was on the same team as Phil Mickelson, and immediately after that he travelled north for the 127th Amateur Championship, played at Royal Lytham & St Annes and St Annes Old Links.
He added: “It was a little tiring. I made the mistake of booking my practice round tee time at eight o’clock in the morning after the LIV event in London and I had to go to Blackpool which is up in the north of England. I got there at like 4am the day of the practice round, so obviously I missed it. I got to the course at nine o’clock in the morning and I had to wait around three or four hours to get a practice round. I only got one practice round in, and yeah, I mean the results showed it. I played eight over the first day and two under the next day, it definitely wasn’t enough.”
US golfer Dustin Johnson (L), Northern Irish golfer Graeme McDowell (C) and Thailand golfer Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat attend a press conference ahead of the forthcoming LIV Golf Invitational Series event at The Centurion Club. (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS / AFP) (Photo by ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images)
Those rounds meant he fell way short of making the Matchplay knockout rounds but undeterred he was not done with the English summer and played one more event just outside of London in early July.
“I played another event, a Euro Pro Tour event. I just had a little pocket of time for two weeks and there was an event that popped up in north London. So, I played that one, and the only reason I played was for world ranking points, the first place gets like four points and top four gets points. I finished seventh, so for a pro event it’s definitely not bad, but it was a little sad that I only missed out on world ranking points by like two strokes so that hurt a little bit,” he said.
From there he travelled to the U.S. Amateur at Ridgewood Country Club and Arcola Country Club in New Jersey, courses known for their difficulty.
Said the Thai: “The courses were difficult: the rough and the course length and how fast and firm the greens were; basically everything, it was just your average, tough U.S. Amateur courses. Playing the U.S. Amateur definitely was great, it was different to anything I’ve played. I was there for quite a while but didn’t get too many practice rounds in because the courses were closed. Obviously, I missed the cut, but I think it was just like two bad rounds.”
After playing in professional events from the beginning of the year and racking up outstanding results – highlighted by his incredible victory in the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup in Pattaya in April on the Asian Tour which meant he became the male youngest golfer to win on a tour recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking at the age of 15 years and 37 days – he spoke highly about the experience of playing against the best amateurs in the biggest amateur events in the world.
“I mean, they’re definitely really good. Obviously, I’ve been away from amateur golf for a while, so it was good to go back and play a bit. I think I can really say I’m just excited to go back and play next year, because now I know what both of them are like and what to expect; how to play the courses, and how to play in Europe and the U.S.,” he said.
PHUKET-THAILAND- Ratchanon Chantananuwat, amateur, of Thailand pictured with the Low Amateur Award on Sunday, November 28, 2021 during the final round of the Asian Tour’s Blue Canyon Phuket Championship 2021 at the Blue Canyon Country Club, (Canyon Course), with a prize fund of US$ 1 Million. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
After returning home to Thailand from the U.S. he teed it up in the Thailand Open this month on the All Thailand Golf Tour and was tied for the lead after the first two rounds, although he would have to settle for a tied eighth in the end.
“Yes, I was leading after two days but I flopped on day three. Day four was ok but day three was really bad, I couldn’t hole one single putt. But it’s always good to be back home playing the national Open,” he said.
Despite his busy summer schedule, the Thai youngster still has a lot more golf to play before the season comes to a close, and has more demanding schoolwork to worry about before the end of the year.
“It’s just been a pretty busy summer although very fun, I have learned a lot of things. I’ve moved on from the past, but I’m a little more worried about my future than what I was this summer because there are quite a lot of things I need to do before the end of the year,” said Ratchanon.
Following his two weeks in Chinese-Taipei he will play the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship at Amata Spring Country Club in Bangkok in October, followed by several International Series events on the Asian Tour.
“But what has been stressing me out the most is my physics and economics IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) tests in October and November,” he adds.
“Now that I’m in year 11, IG’s are at the end of this academic year, so definitely getting a lot more serious as well. I’ve been doing a ton of tutoring, but that’s mostly on economics and physics. I know after I finish those tests, it’s going to be seven more subjects that I have to give a lot of my attention to. So, to be honest with you, it’s very hectic and a little overwhelming at times but the school is helping a lot. I still have time to practice. I do study when I have time to study, but golf is still the number one priority.”
The Yeangder TPC tees-off at Linkou International Golf and Country Club on September 22, returning after a three-year hiatus caused by the global pandemic.
Japan’s Kazuki Higa showed just why he is currently ranked the number one player in Japan when he birdied the final two holes to win The 38th Shinhan Donghae Open today at Koma Country Club in Nara, near Osaka.
On a memorable final day at one of Korea’s premier tournaments, he holed a pressure-packed 15-foot birdie putt on the short, driveable par-four 18th to return a six-under-par 65 for a tournament total of 20 under, and a two-shot victory over Tirawat Kaewsiribandit from Thailand, Korean Mingyu Cho and Yonggu Shin from Canada.
Tirawat, who started the day with a three-shot advantage and held a narrow lead for much of the day, closed with a 72 – which featured an incredible albatross – while Cho fired a 66, and Shin a 68.
The event is tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Korean and Japan Tours, and this year marked the first time in its history it had been played in Japan.
Korea’s PGA Tour star Siwoo Kim, playing in the final group, returned a 70, to end three behind the winner, in a tie for fifth, along with the 2019 champion Jbe Kruger from South Africa, who signed off with a best of the day 63.
Higa’s bid for victory came at the very death. Playing in the penultimate group and trailing Tirawat by one with two to play he birdied the par-five 17th to draw level before the under-pressure Thai golfer bogeyed the 16th to fall one behind.
However, Tirawat bravely bounced back with a birdie on the 17th to draw level again before Higa made his brilliant birdie on the last, where he found a greenside bunker from the tee before splashing out to set up his sensational closing putt.
That meant Tirawat needed to make a birdie to force a sudden-death play-off. And after missing the green left with his tee shot he chipped to 10 feet suggesting extra time looked a strong possibility but the 32 year old just missed the birdie putt before also seeing his short par putt slip by.
“I worked so hard during the off season, and it has really paid off,” said Higa, who received a cheque for US$214,650.
“I played well today, and hit some great approach shots, but the putts really were not dropping. But I trusted myself, made a lot of pars, and stayed confident.”
The 27-year-old Okinawan’s latest victory is another landmark moment in a career which continues to go from strength to strength and attract attention. He was victorious on the Asian Development Tour in 2017, the year he turned professional, and won again on that Tour the following year. He tasted victory next on the Japan Golf Tour in 2019 and 2021 before moving to the top of the Japan money list this season with wins at the Kansai Open Golf Championship in April and the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup in June.
Added Higa: “I am happy to win a tri-sanctioned event and also win Tour cards for three tours. Top-ranked players from each Tour are here, and their game levels are really high. I am standing on the top of the money list [in Japan], and I felt like I was the representative of the Japan Tour, and I managed to win, which made me feel great.
“I was playing in Asia before competing on the Japan Tour, so I am glad to get a Tour card now on the Asian Tour. The Asian Tour is getting bigger.”
Tirawat, also the leader at the halfway mark, experienced the full gamut of emotions today.
A dropped shot on the second hole was not the start he was looking for but to the amazement of those walking with his group and following at home on television, he holed his second shot on the par-five third, using a three-wood from 277 yards. It was the first albatross in three years on the Asian Tour.
But the thrill of that moment was quickly replaced by concern on the following hole, a par three, when he pushed his tee shot into trees on the right and made par with his second ball for a double.
Despite the turbulent start he remained in front until Higa joined him on top of the leaderboard with his birdie on 17.
Said Tirawat: “I wasn’t in position to make birdies today. I just kept getting out of position. I lost my focus too many times, like that par putt on 18th, but I am proud of myself.”
He was attempting to win his second title on the Asian Tour, having claimed the UMA CNS Open Golf Championship in Pakistan in 2018.
Three-time PGA Tour winner Siwoo Kim challenged for much of the day and was many people’s favourite to prevail, but he surprisingly found water on the par-four 14th and made a six before dropping another shot on the next hole.
A brilliant tee shot on 18 to 20 feet, which he holed for a stunning eagle, will have been some consolation for the Korean, who will play in The Presidents Cup later this month.
As well as the action on the golf course today, an important signing ceremony was held which saw officials proudly announced that the prestigious tournament, one of Korea’s flagship tournaments, will be sanctioned with the Asian, Korean and Japan Tour’s for an additional three years, from 2023 to 2025.
The next event on the Asian Tour is the Yeangder TPC at Linkou International Golf and Country Club in Chinese Taipei, from September 22-25.
At an important signing ceremony today at the Shinhan Donghae Open officials proudly announced that the prestigious tournament, one of Korea’s flagship tournaments, will be sanctioned with the Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour Organisation and Korean PGA Tour for an additional three years, from 2023 to 2025.
Japan’s Kazuki Higa won the event after a thrilling final round, which was played in Japan for the first time in its history, at Koma Country Club, and is the only tournament tri-sanctioned by the three Tours.
The popular Shinhan Donghae Open first became part of the Asian Tour in 2016, when Indian star Gaganjeet Bhullar was triumphant, and since then it has become an integral part of its schedule.
“The Shinhan Donghae Open is one of the solid, standout pillars of our schedule,” said Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO, of the Asian Tour.
“We are truly honoured that the Shinhan Financial Group have chosen to collaborate with us for many more years, which allows us to continue to grow the tournament into a regional property, attract even bigger audiences and further help facilitate the growth of the game in Asia.”
Held annually in Korea since 1981, the Shinhan Donghae Open was jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korean PGA Tour in 2016 before becoming the first event to be tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Korean and Japan circuits in 2019.
“This week we heard former champion Gaganjeet Bhullar explain that just by being here and seeing the Shinhan Donghae branding on the course inspired him and made him realise just how much the tournament is close to his heart. This speaks volumes about the significance of the tournament, and its partners and organisers.”
It was hosted in Japan this week as Koma was overseen by Shinhan Financial Group’s founder Heuikeon Lee in the 1980s and the impressive venue is a special place for the Group.
Chairman and CEO of Shinhan Financial Group, Yongbyoung Cho said he hopes the tri-sanction agreement will continue the tradition of allowing each Tour player the chance to compete beyond the barriers of their country; in line with the Shinhan Donghae Open’s slogan: “To Continue The Tradition and Open The Future”.
Travel restrictions caused by the global pandemic meant it could only be played as a domestic event in 2020 and 2021, but the tournament, which this week saw some remarkable golf and low scoring, has returned to the international arena with a vengeance.
Thailand’s Tirawat Kaewsiribandit opened up a three-shot lead after the third round of The 38th Shinhan Donghae Open today following a fine five-under-par 66.
Playing some of the best golf of his 12-year professional career he reached 19 under par for the tournament – which is the second lowest 54-hole total of the season.
Korean Siwoo Kim, the event’s marquee player with three wins on the PGA Tour, fired a 67 to sit solo second.
The event is being played in Japan for the first time in its history, at Koma Country Club, in Nara, near Osaka, and is tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Korean and Japan tours.
Canadian Yonggu Shin and Sanghee Lee from Korea both returned 66s and are a further shot back.
Tirawat led after the first two rounds thanks to a pair of sublime 64s and began today in the same impressive manner.
“I started really good today, with four birdies in the first six holes,” said 32-year-old Tirawat, who revealed his nickname is “Oat” because of his love of oatmeal.
Those birdies helped him make the turn in four-under-par 31 before he extended his lead with a birdie on the 13th. He surprisingly dropped his only shot of the day on the par-five 17th but then showed just how confident he is playing this course by making birdie on 18.
Siwoo Kim. Picture courtesy of Korean PGA Tour.
“Tomorrow will be the same game plan and I will try to make as many birdies as I can. I will focus on playing the par fives well as I like them and it’s where you can make your score,” he said.
“I am not thinking about the trophy, I am just thinking about my game and relaxing. I just want to have fun, and I also enjoyed playing with Siwoo Kim. He is a PGA Tour player and I want to learn from him. After playing well today I have more confidence, my all around game was good.”
Despite being relatively unknown Tirawat has won before on the Asian Tour, at 2018 UMA CNS Open Golf Championship in Pakistan, and the year before that he also triumphed in the Betagro All Thailand Championship on the Asian Development Tour.
Siwoo Kim, ranked 75th in the world, will most definitely be his main threat tomorrow.
He got off to an unexpected bad start with bogeys on two and four but showed his class with a five-under-par back nine that included four birdies in a row from the 11th.
Malaysian Ben Leong carded the joint-best round of the day, a 65, and is six behind the leader. He last won on the Asian Tour back at the 2008 Worldwide Selangor Masters and rekindled the kind of magic that saw win that title when he made six birdies in a row on the back nine starting from the 12th.
He said: “On the front nine I thought I played pretty well but couldn’t score but I didn’t let that upset me. I just kept griding along. They say stay patient, and I did. I just tried not to get too involved in the golf game, and just enjoy the company.”
American Todd Baek and Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita both came in with 66s, and Japan’s Kazuki Higa – the current Japan Golf Tour number one – a 70 and are five off the pace.
Defending champion Yoseop Seo from Korea shot 65 and is eight off the lead, while his compatriot Bio Kim, the current leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, returned a 68 and is seven under.
Tirawat Kaewsiribandit carded his second successive seven-under-par 64, helped by two eagles, to take the clubhouse lead in The 38th Shinhan Donghae Open today at Koma Country Club in Nara, Japan, upstaging an exceptional line-up of players from the Asian, Japan and Korean Tours.
The Thai golfer has won once before on the Asian Tour – in the 2018 UMA CNS Open Golf Championship in Pakistan – but is now in uncharted territory in one of the region’s biggest and most prestigious events, moving to 14 under par at the halfway mark.
A 90-minute weather delay at the start of the day meant 32 players were unable to complete round two. Play will resume at 6.50am local time tomorrow.
Japan’s Kazuki Higa, currently ranked number one in Japan, came in with a 63 and is one back, while PGA Tour star Siwoo Kim from Korea, shot a 65 to sit a further stroke behind.
Japan’s Riki Kawamoto also fired a 65 and is 11 under.
First-round leader Richard T. Lee from Canada, who carded a course record 62 yesterday, is 11 under with five holes left.
Siwoo Kim. Picture courtesy Korean PGA.
“I am very excited to maybe play leading group at the weekend,” said Tirawat, also a winner on the Asian Development Tour.
“It is my first time playing this course, it’s great because I like the big greens, which helps me get more confidence. I am enjoying this new experience in the big time.”
He began on tee 10 and quickly raised the bar with eagles on 13 and 17, both par fives. He made four birdies and one bogey in total.
Higa has triumphed twice on the Japan Golf Tour Organisation this year and his fine form was once again on display when he put together a flawless round of eight birdies.
He said: “I am bogey free for two days now, that’s great. The greens are so soft which helps but you must stay out of the rough. I am pleased I finished before it got dark.”
In April he won the Kansai Open Golf Championship, and in June the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship Mori Building Cup.
The event’s star attraction Siwoo Kim, a three-time PGA Tour winner, is lurking ominously going into the weekend.
“I just want to concentrate on myself without thinking about the others. I’d like to play the final two days like today and yesterday.”
Defending champion Yoseop Seo from Korea returned a 68 and is five under for the tournament, while his countryman Bio Kim, the current leader of the Asian Tour Order of Merit, shot 67 and is four under.
Gaganjeet Bhullar, one of the most prolific winners on the Asian Tour, will bid to claim his 11th title this week at The 38th Shinhan Donghae Open – a tournament where he has enjoyed success before, in 2016, and which has special meaning to him.
“It was six years ago but it still seems like it was last week,” said the Indian.
“Going back to all my last 10 victories I think the Shinhan Donghae Open was definitely very close to my heart: the reason was I was coming back from a bad patch of two years, including injuries and a lot of adjustments in my golf swing back in the day, so that basically gave me another kick in my career.
“So, looking at all the Shinhan Donghae Open branding this week it brings back all the good memories.”
The Shinhan Donghae Open, is one of Korea’s most prestigious events, and when Bhullar claimed the title, it was played at Bear’s Best Cheongna – the tournament’s home for the past seven years.
However, this week the tournament is being held in Japan for the first time in its history, with Koma Country Club near Osaka playing host.
JAKARTA-INDONESIA – Gaganjeet Bhullar of India pictured after round four with the winner’s trophy on Sunday August 7, 2022 of the Mandiri Indonesia Open 2022 at the Pondok Indah Golf Course, Jakarta, Indonesia. The US$500,000 Asian Tour event is staged from August 4-7, 2022. Picture by Graham Uden / Asian Tour.
Added Gaganjeet: “I played a practise round yesterday and I would say the conditions are very favourable for my game; rough is still up, greens are still very pure. I have been playing the past few years in Korea and Japan and the goal is to stick to my routine.”
The 34-year-old from Amritser, in the Punjab, was triumphant in the Mandiri Indonesia Open for a record third time in August, for his first victory on the Asian Tour since his win at the 2018 Fiji International. Having struggled with his form over recent seasons while focusing on Europe and battling with a bad dose of Covid at that start of the year, it was a much welcomed return to the winners’ circle.
“I have been working very hard on my swing, my pre-shot routine, and some mental stuff I have been doing on and off the golf course, and that is the result of my input,” he added.
“Winning in Indonesia also gave me a boost. Every time you go out and play well that boosts your career for the next few years and I feel I am riding high on confidence, focusing one shot at a time. I will give 100 per cent this week.”
He is currently in 11th place on the Order of Merit with earnings of US$248,910 having played 10 events. And with a wealth of big money events to come finishing in top spot is a realistic possibility.
Since first playing on the Asian Tour in 2007 his best Merit list finish was fourth in 2018, while he was fifth in both 2012 and 2013.
He has been paired in the first two rounds with Japan’s Ryosuke Kinoshita and Korean Junggon Hwang.
Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Bio Kim from Korea, and his compatriot Taehoon Ok, who won the International Series Korea two weeks ago, are just two of the big-name players competing this week.
Thailand’s Nitithorn Thippong and Sihwan Kim from the United States, the only two players who have won twice this season are also competing, as well as PGA Tour star Siwoo Kim from Korea.
Defending champion Yoseop Seo from Korea is playing, he won last year when the tournament was played solely as a Korean PGA event due to travel restriction caused by COVID-19.
Ganganjeet Bhullar (picture by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images).
It is the first time the prestigious tournament has been played on the Asian Tour in three years because of the pandemic.
Tri-sanctioned by the Asian, Korean and Japan Tours it boasts prizemoney of KRW 1,400,000,000 (approximately US$1,050,500).
Prize money at this month’s Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) has been increased by 40 per cent.
Ahead of the Asian Tour’s eagerly-awaited return to Chinese Taipei, organisers confirmed that the purse will rise to US$700,000 when the popular event gets underway at its regular host venue at Linkou International Golf and Country Club from September 22-25.
When the tournament was last staged as part of the Asian Tour in 2019, prize money totalled US$500,000.
Although the Yeangder TPC has gone ahead on the domestic Chinese Taipei circuit in the past two years, it was three years ago that the prestigious tournament was last part of the Asian Tour, prior to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In 2019, Yikeun Chang became the first Korean to lift the Yeangder TPC title when it celebrated its 10th consecutive edition on the Asian Tour.
CHINESE-TAIPEI – Yikuen Chang of Korea pictured with the winner’s trophy during round four on Sunday September 8, 2019, at the Yeangder Tournament Players Championship at the Linkou International Golf and Country Club, Chinese Taipei, a USD$ 500.000 Asian Tour event. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.
Cho Minn Thant, Commissioner and CEO, Asian Tour, said: “We are very thankful to the sponsors and organisers of the Yeangder TPC, which has been a permanent fixture on our schedule for more than a decade.
“Given the excellent long-standing relationship we have had with this tournament, we are especially appreciative of the gesture to increase the prize fund by US$200,000 to US$700,000 this year.”
The inaugural Yeangder TPC was won by legendary Thai Thaworn Wiratchant in 2010. He triumphed again in 2013 and remains the only player to date to have his name etched on the trophy twice.
The victories of Thai Prom Meesawat (2014) and Spaniard Carlos Pigem (2016) were notable for the fact that they were achieved after play-offs, while Lu Wei-chih (2011) is the only Chinese Taipei players to have savoured success in the event.
Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar’s four-stroke success in 2012 remains the largest winning margin in the event’s history.
Also on the Yeangder TPC roll of honour are South African Shaun Norris (2015), Indian Ajeetesh Sandhu (2017) and American John Catlin in 2018.
The Yeangder TPC will be the 15th event on this year’s Asian Tour schedule, and the first in Chinese Taipei.
A two-week Chinese Taipei swing will conclude the following week (September 29-October 2) with the Mercuries Taiwan Masters at Taiwan Golf and Country Club.
Cho said: “With the return of these outstanding events to the Asian Tour and the addition of the new International Series, this season will boast the strongest schedule in Asian Tour history.”
More updates for the 2022 season to follow.
Ends.
By Joy Chakravarty reporting from Boston
Anirban Lahiri is poised to record the best finish by an Asian player in the LIV Golf Series, going into the final round of the US$25-million LIV Golf Invitational Boston in fourth place, just three shots behind the leader.
The 35-year-old Indian, who became the first Asian player to be contracted by the Series, added a five-under par 65 to his first-round 66 at the par-70 The International course and was nine-under par 131.
The best finish by an Asian player in the three LIV Golf Series events so far is a sixth place by Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma at the tournament in Portland.
American Taylor Gooch (65), remained on top of the leaderboard at 12-under par 128, one better than the world Chilean Joaquin Niemann, who shot a 65 as well. Former world number one Dustin Johnson moved to third place at 10-under par 130 after the joint best round of the day – a 63.
BOLTON, MASSACHUSETTS – SEPTEMBER 03: Sadom Kaewkanjana of Iron Heads GC plays his shot from the second tee during Day Two of the LIV Golf Invitational – Boston at The Oaks golf course at The International on September 03, 2022 in Bolton, Massachusetts. (Photo by Patrick Smith/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Another Asian Tour star who is inside the top-10 is Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, who hit 17 greens in regulation for the second straight day in a round of 66. That tied him for eighth place at seven-under par total.
With Gooch and Johnson in fine form, the all-American team of 4 Aces looks set for a three-peat of the team competition. They at at 22-under, three ahead of captain Phil Mickelson’s HyFlyers.
The turnaround of the day came from Sihwan Kim, who is second in both Asian Tour Order of Merit, as well as the International Series Order of Merit. The American struggled with accuracy off the tee in the first round and shot an 87. He improved it by a massive 24 shots on Saturday, matching Johnson’s best round of the day – a 63.
It helped his Asian Tour team of Ironheads – comprising Sadom and Phachara Khongwatmai, and American Kevin Na, the captain – to third place at 18-under par.
Lahiri started his round from the third tee, and was immediately required to knuckle down after hitting his second shot with a wedge way over the green.
“It just woke me up. I had to tell myself to pull my socks. I made a difficult up and down for par, but after that I played really well. I am very happy with my focus, and I was very happy with my rhythm,” said Lahiri, who is one of six new players making their LIV Golf debut in Boston.
“I hit the driver well again, and on this golf course, if you can find the fairways, it opens a lot of opportunities. Again, I could have putted better, so I do believe I have a much lower one in me.
“I think the way this golf course is, you can go low if you are playing well. I will need a 62 or a 63 if I have to win the tournament, and I think it is very possible the way I am playing.”
Lahiri and Sadom were the only two players in the field without a bogey in the tournament for a long time, before the tough ninth hole got to both. That ended a bogey-free stretch of 24 holes for Lahiri, while Sadom avoided it for 27 holes, having started the day on the 18th hole.
The 24-year-old Thai star was hoping to finish with a flourish, much the same way as he did at the 150th Open Championship in St Andrews, where a seven-under par 65 propelled him to tied 11th place, which was the best finish by a player from his country in the event.
“I started very well with a birdie on my first hole, and then added another on my third (second of the golf course). My driver and irons were working very well. If there is one disappointment, it is that I three-putted two successive holes – the par-five eighth for a par, and then on the par-four ninth for a bogey. I could easily have done much better if not for those two holes,” said Sadom.
“I don’t want to change anything in my gameplan or the way I am playing, but if I can make a few more putts tomorrow, it could set up an interesting finish.”
Gooch, who played conservatively off the tee, opting for his three-wood instead of hitting the driver on many holes, made just one bogey in his round of 67.
“The game has been in good form. I was able to throw out one low round (64) in the last tournament, but it’s nice to throw out a couple more this tournament and see if we can both throw out one more tomorrow and get the team win,” said Gooch.
Among the other Asian Tour players in the field, Zimbabwean Scott Vincent moved up to tied 19th place at four-under par with a 66. Phachara also had a sub-par round – a 69 – and moved up to tied 34th place.
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