Kammalas holes out to secure close-fought win
The Asian Development Tour / All Thailand Partnership ended in dramatic fashion today after Kammalas Namuangruk holed out on the second playoff hole to snatch victory after a close-fought battle with Amarin Kraivixien at Red Mountain Golf Club in Phuket.
Sinking to his knees after the ball rolled in, Kammalas celebrated a brave fight back which saw him come from two shots behind to claim his spot in the play off at the THB3 million co-sanctioned event by the Asian Development Tour and the All Thailand Golf Tour.
Starting the final round tied at 13 under par, the pair battled throughout the day with the lead changing hands on several occasions. Kammalas birdied the opening hole, while Amarin could only make bogey, however within three holes they were back level.
Amarin, with a birdie on the sixth hole, again took the lead which he held until the ninth, when a bogey allowed Kammalas back in and they made the turn paired at 14 under par.
Both players parred the first four holes of the back nine, then Amarin edged ahead with birdies on holes 14 and 16 to take the lead by two shots heading into the last.
A dramatic finish for Kammalas on the final hole – holing a 10-foot putt for eagle while Amarin could only make par – meant both players finished tied with a score of 69 and the tournament was to be decided by a playoff.
Kammalas was excited by his win, and the way in which he managed to fight back and put himself in contention made him confident about his progress within Asian golf.
“I’m proud of myself, “ he said after the prize-giving ceremony. “I started with two birdies but then there was nothing good until 18 when I made eagle putt for play off, and then to chip in for the win, nothing else to say.
“I did not think I was going to win, but I focused on every shot. I was very nervous but I’m feeling good for the year. I think it’s given me a good opportunity now to play more on the ADT and next year hopefully on the Asian Tour,” he added.
Amarin Kraivixien of Thailand, pictured in action during the final round of the Asian Development Tour / All Thailand Partnership at Red Mountain Golf Course in Phuket. Picture courtesy of the All Thailand Golf Tour.
Amarin, who was stricken with a fever after the second round, nearly pulled out of the tournament at the start of Round Three but was determined to see things through.
“This has already exceeded my expectations,” he said after the play off. “It helps to keep things in perspective.
“I made too many mistakes today, I thought I played solidly enough to win but unfortunately Kammalas did better than me. There was nothing else I could do, with two eagles in three holes, but hats off to him, he deserved it.
“I have nothing to complain about, “ he added. “I’m happy with what I accomplished this week and looking forward to building momentum going forward.”
The Thai duo of Tawit Polthai (68) and Waris Manthorn (70) tied for third place and 13 under par, while Hong Kong’s Leon D’Souza (64) posted the low round of the day to head a group in fith place that included Thailand’s Natipong Srithong (67), Kosuke Hamamoto (68) and Itthipat Buranatanyarat (68).
Chi Huang (69) of Chinese Taipei finished in ninth spot alongside Panuphol Pittayarat (66) and Sangchai Kaewcharoen (66).
Angelo Que (68) of the Philippines held solo 12th spot, followed by Thailand’s Poosit Supupramai (71) in 13th and the Thai duo of Weerawish Narkprachar (67) and Thanyakon Khronpha (68) rounding out the top 15.
The ADT All Thailand Partnership tournament is one of two ADT events scheduled for May, with the THB4 million Singha Laguna Phuket Open being held at Laguna Golf Phuket from May 9-12.
Main picture: Kammalas Namuangruk of Thailand, pictured in action during the final round of the Asian Development Tour / All Thailand Partnership at Red Mountain Golf Course in Phuket. Picture courtesy of the All Thailand Golf Tour.
Amarin Kraivixien made great strides up the leaderboard with a 65 today to vault into a shared lead going into the final round of the Asian Development Tour / All Thailand Partnership in Phuket.
Amarin, who shared the low round of the day with Natipong Srithong at Red Mountain Golf Course, holds the joint lead with compatriot Kammalas Namuangruk (66).
“I was surprised with my round today,” he said after finishing up. “I had a fever last night. Felt better this morning but really wasn’t expecting much. I just wanted to keep myself cool with a cold towel.”
As the THB3 million tournament heads into its final day on the ADT’s first visit to the Phuket course, the narrow fairways and sloping greens required extra attention from players.
“My concentration level today was exceptional, I think that helped a lot,” Amarin explained after his bogey-free round.
“I holed a 30-footer for birdie on the first and that gave me a good momentum into the round. Made a couple of six footers for pars too. Not dropping a shot out there kept me going and I’m really pleased with the way I played today.”
Kammalas, with two dropped shots on the back nine, had to fight to keep pace after holding the early lead during the day.
“I putted really well today,” he explained. “I got excited after starting the round with four straight birdies and just kept it going out there.
“It started raining after I made the turn and I lost a bit of momentum but happy to still cap a good round to grab a share of the lead.”
Kammalas Namuangruk of Thailand, pictured in action during Round Three of the Asian Development Tour / All Thailand Partnership at Red Mountain Golf Course in Phuket. Picture courtesy of the All Thailand Golf Tour.
In third place on 12 under, Waris Manthorn (68) of Thailand holds a two shot advantage over fellow Thai Tawit Polthai (67)in fourth.
Chi Huang (67)of Chinese Taipei shares fifth spot with Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat (66) and overnight leader Kosuke Hamamoto (72).
In eighth place are Thailand’s Natipong Sirithong (65) and Poosit Supupramai (69), followed by Angelo Que (67) of the Philippines in 10th spot on seven under par.
Panat Bodhidatta (67), Sangchai Kaewcharoen (70) Panuphol Pittayarat (73) and first round leader Warun Ieamgaew (71) are an all-Thai group sharing 11th place.
Thailand’s Kenny Lem, who made the cut on the number after Friday’s round, had the bonus of a hole-in-one on the third hole, jarring his eight iron from 155 yards.
The ADT / All Thailand Partnership tournament, a 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 THB4 million Singha Laguna Phuket Open being held at Laguna Golf Phuket from May 9-12.
Play continues for the final day at Red Mountain, with the first flight off at 7.10am local time and the leading group of Waris, Kammalas and Amarin teeing off at 8.50am.
Main picture: Amarin Kraivixien of Thailand, pictured in action during Round Three of the Asian Development Tour / All Thailand Partnership at Red Mountain Golf Course in Phuket. Picture courtesy of the All Thailand Golf Tour.
The PKNS Selangor Masters, which has been one of the highlights of the season on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) for the past two years, returns to the schedule this year and will be played at its regular home Seri Selangor Golf Club from June 19-22.
The popular event, which celebrates its 11th edition this season, will boast total prizemoney of US$175,000, and it will be the ADT’s fifth leg of the season.
It will also mark the ADT’s first visit of the season to Malaysia, and it will be jointly sanctioned with the Toyota Tour – Malaysia’s domestic circuit, and a long-standing partner.
“I think it is fair to say the PKNS Selangor Masters is back by popular demand once again this year,” said Ken Kudo, General Manager, Asian Development Tour.
“Our season is already underway and so we truly welcome today’s announcement that confirms the PKNS Selangor Masters for 2024. It is one of the most lucrative events on the Asian Development Tour that has earned the respect of our membership since joining the fold in 2022.
2022 Selangor Masters winner Shahriffuddin Ariffin.
“We thank the organisers and sponsors of the event, Seri Selangor Golf Club and our friends at the Toyota Tour for their concentrated efforts in facilitating the 11th staging of this important tournament for Malaysia and the Asian Development Tour.”
Eighty players from the ADT will be eligible to play, while there will be 40 from the Toyota Tour. The total field size will be 144, with 24 invites.
Said Dato’ Setia Haji Haris bin Kasim, Selangor State Secretary & Chairman of the organising committee: “We are expecting a strong international field once again this year for a tournament that regularly attracts leading players from the region.
“The Selangor Masters is also an important and established platform for Malaysian golfers to benefit from and take advantage of the fact that the top-10 players from the final Asian Development Tour Order of Merit earn their Asian Tour cards for the following season. This happened in 2022 when Shahriffuddin Ariffin won the tournament and secured a top-10 finish on the Merit list, and the following year when Ervin Chang tied for eighth enroute to finishing in the top-10.”
The ADT’s season got underway last month at the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam. Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig claimed the title at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, for his first international victory.
Chinese-Taipei’s Ho Yu-Cheng (main picture) claimed the Selangor Masters last year, succeeding Ariffin – who when he triumphed became only the second Malaysian to raise the trophy. Malaysia’s Ben Leong triumphed in 2008.
The Selangor Masters was first staged in 2007 on the local circuit, before being elevated the following year onto the Asian Tour until 2014. It was revived two years ago on the ADT – the Asian Tour’s thriving secondary circuit that helps cultivate the region’s stars of tomorrow.
When the event was staged in 2022, it was actually the first international golf tournament to be held in Malaysia following a near two-year disruption in play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other winners of the Selangor Masters are Australian Rick Kulacz (2009), Angelo Que (2010) of the Philippines and Joonas Granberg (2011) of Finland.
They were followed by the Thai trio of Thaworn Wiratchant (2012), Pariya Junhasavasdikul (2013) and Chapchai Nirat (2014) – who emerged victorious in a play-off to end a five-year title drought for his fourth win on Asian Tour.
The Aramco Invitational Tournament, the showstopper event on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) last year, will return to the schedule this year, and be played at Rolling Hills Golf Club, in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia from November 27-30.
With a total purse of US$250,000, which matches last year’s prize fund, it will be one of the most lucrative events on the ADT – playing a decisive role in determining who finishes in the top-10 on the Order of Merit, which will reward players with Asian Tour cards for the 2025 season.
Today’s news follows the exciting announcement last year of Aramco’s title sponsorship of the event for three years, starting in 2023, making it the biggest and most significant partnership in the history of the ADT. Headquartered in Dhahran, Aramco is one of the world’s leading integrated energy and chemicals companies.
Nabil Al-Nuaim, Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Golf Association (SAGA) and Aramco’s Senior Vice President of Digital and Information Technology, said: “Aramco is proud to continue to support golf through partnerships with key national and international partners. We aim to support the Asian Development Tour and encourage young and aspiring Saudi nationals to become professional golfers.”
Rolling Hills Country Club.
The field size will be 120 players, including 70 from the ADT, 40 from Aramco, and 10 invitees.
Last year, in one of the most thrilling finishes witnessed on the ADT and Asian Tour, Thailand’s Denwit Boriboonsub (main picture) won the Aramco Invitational Tournament by beating England’s William Harrold in a sudden-death play-off at Rolling Hills Golf Club.
The win for Denwit was also enough to clinch victory in the season-long Order of Merit, as it was the final event of the season. Remarkably, the following week, he triumphed in the Thailand Open on the All Thailand Golf Tour, and the week after that, he won the Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund, the last stop of the year on the Asian Tour.
Ken Kudo, General Manager of the Asian Development Tour, said: “We all saw the incredible impact the Aramco Invitational Tournament made on the Asian Development Tour last year, in terms of how it dramatically transformed Denwit Boriboonsub’s season and the opportunities it offered him, and also the overall level of excitement it contributed to the circuit.
“The ADT is on the rise, and it is because of partners like Aramco. We thank them for their ongoing support and commitment to the development of our Tour, its members and golf in our regions as a whole.”
Minhaj Khan, Vice Chairman of the Saudi Aramco Golf Association, said: “Aramco aims to expand, enhance and enrich the Asian Development Tour, and players will have an opportunity to compete in the event while experiencing the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the fullest.”
Thailand’s Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij was victorious in the inaugural event in 2022, when it was also played at the Rolling Hills Golf Course.
The Aramco Invitational Tournament announcement is the sixth ADT event to be unveiled so far this season, with many more to come.
Last year, the schedule featured 12 events, offering lucrative overall prize money of US$1.38million.
Located in Dhahran, Rolling Hills is a private course for employees of Aramco.
Thailand’s Runchanapong Youprayong recovered well from a difficult start in the wind-affected first round of the Lexus Challenge in Vietnam today, bouncing back to end the day with a one shot lead at five under par.
His compatriot Itthipat Buranatanyarat sits at four under par, with Japan’s Leo Oyo in solo third on three under par. Thailand’s Sangchai Kaewcharoen and Pakistan’s Ahmad Baig are one shot further back in the opening tournament of the Asian Development Tour season.
The US$85,00O event, held at The Bluffs Grand Ho Tram, was beset by high winds in the morning, and players had to adjust their games accordingly.
“I feel good because it is my first time here and there was a lot of wind today,” said Itthipat after his round. “I practiced yesterday and I still didn’t know how to play in these conditions but this morning on the range I worked out how to get the ball under the wind,” he explained.
Itthipat Buranatanyarat
Leader Runchanapong was able to overcome an early wobble and used the recovery momentum to build his round.
“I didn’t start off very well,” he said. “I doubled my fourth hole of the day but on the next par fives I was able to capitalise, I had a birdie and an eagle so I was able to get my round going.
“Off the tee was my strength today, plus I made a couple of putts. You have to keep it on the fairway here, and keep the ball pretty low because the wind is blowing out there,” he added.
In sixth place, on one under par, are Thailand’s Natipong Srithong and Ekpharit Wu, Paul San of Malaysia, French amateur Jean Francois Peron, Peter Wilson of Australia and Korea’s Lion Park.
Chiu Han-ting of Chinese Taipei leads a group in 12th place on even par, together with Tanapat Pichaikool and Jakraphan Premsirigorn of Thailand, Malaysia’s Amir Nazrin and Akinori Tani of Japan.
Some of the afternoon wave were still out on the course when play was stopped at 6.10pm due to poor light. A total of 16 players are yet to complete their first round and play will resume for them at 6.50am. Round Two will start as expected at 6.45am.
The Lexus Challenge, which is now in its fourth year, is jointly sanctioned by the ADT and the Vietnam Golf Association and is the opening event in what is expected to be one of the strongest schedules in the history of the ADT.
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