Golf fans have a treat in store for tomorrow in Phuket, as three of the Asian Tour’s biggest stars are lined up for an all-Thai final round battle at the Singha Laguna Phuket Open.

Phachara Khongwatmai, Pavit Tangkamolprasert and Rattanon Wannasrichan finished the third round tied on 12 under par, and the three of them will be in the final group for a Sunday shootout in the THB4 million Asian Development Tour / All Thailand Golf tournament.

Phachara (67) was the first to finish after dropping only one shot in his round today, and he was excited at the prospect of doing battle tomorrow.

“For me, I’ll enjoy it,” he said after his round. “We’re all Thai, good friends, we know each other well. Who wins I don’t care but we’ll be happy to play together.

“Of course I’ll try to win but I like to play with good players, tomorrow is going to be fun,” he added.

“Today my game was very good. A solid round, not good iron shots like the first and second rounds but my short game today was the best, it was chipping and putting helped me get to three under.

“If it is like these conditions tomorrow, and the pin positions will be tougher, I think 15 or 16 under may have a chance to win, maybe a play off,” he laughed.

Thailand’s Rattananon Wannasrichan pictured in action at the Singha Laguna Phuket Open. Picture courtesy of the All Thailand Golf Tour.

Rattanon (69) opened the tournament with a scorching 61 on the first day, but has given up ground since then with the field closing in.

“Today was very tough for me. I couldn’t get the ball in the hole. Just made two birdies, my line and speed were not good,” he revealed after posting his score

“It’s going to be fun for sure,” he said when asked about the prospect of the Sunday shoot out with his friends. “When we stay in Bangkok we often practice together,” he said. “Who’s the better player this week? Me,” he laughed.

Pavit (68) who reeled off a string of pars before he started to pick up strokes on the back nine, said he took time to get going.

“Honestly I didn’t hit my irons very good today so it left me a lot of long birdie putts. Compared to the first two days my irons were not that sharp,” he said after his round.

He too was relishing the prospect of lining up with his two good friends for Sunday’s final round.

“Our mindsets are the same,” he said. “The course is not that difficult this year because the greens are very soft so let’s try to enjoy ourselves. I don’t think about winning because anything can happen, so I will just try to have a good Sunday.

“It’s all about momentum,” he explained. “I started slow today, I made something like 16 pars in a row since yesterday, so not that good, but momentum is key. If you start good, and you have confidence in your putting, you can go low.

“They are all my friends, and I play with them a lot. Anyone can win, anything can happen, so let’s just enjoy ourselves. I know that too much pressure is not good. I’ve won seven times and every time I won, on the final day I enjoyed my round,” he added.

Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert pictured in action at the Singha Laguna Phuket Open. Picture courtesy of the All Thailand Golf Tour.

Asked about playing the final round in the lead on both tours, he explained: “Sure it’s easier here on the ADT compared to the Asian Tour – the atmosphere, home country, food, people – but you have to perform, otherwise someone else will win.

“Nothing is easy, even on the ADT or Asian Tour, if you don’t perform well on the last day, you’re going to drop,” he added.

Despite the mouth-watering prospect of a final day shootout, it is easy to forget that there is some serious firepower just one or two shots behind.

Naoki Sekito (67) of Japan, who held a share of the lead during the day, is in a share of fourth place on 11 under par alongside Australia’s Douglas Klein (66) and the Thai duo of Itthipat Buranatanyarat (68) and Settee Prakongvech (68), both of who have won Asian tournaments.

In eighth spot, on 10 under par, are Runchanapong Youprayong (65) and Sarut Vongchaisit (65).

One shot further back in 10th place on nine under par are Thailand’s Atriruj Winaicharoenchai (64), Suttijet Kooratanapisan (65) and Chapchai Nirat (70), together with China’s Yanwei Lui (64).

The Singha Laguna Phuket Open, a THB4 million co-sanctioned event by the Asian Development Tour and the All Thailand Golf Tour, is one of two ADT events scheduled for May, with the THB3 million ADT/All Thailand Partnership was held at Red Mountain Golf Course in Phuket from May 2-5.

Main Picture: Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai pictured in action at the Singha Laguna Phuket Open. Picture courtesy of the All Thailand Golf Tour.