Rattanon relishing chance to defend Thailand Open title
Defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan is determined to retain his crown as he spearheads the local challenge at the US$300,000 Thailand Open which kicks off tomorrow in Chachoengsao province near Bangkok.
The 22-year-old from Chanthaburi beat Indian duo Shiv Kapur and Gaganjeet Bhullar by two shots with a total 21 under-par-263 to claim his maiden Asian Tour victory last year.
He also became the fourth Thai to hold the honourable trophy (granted by the late HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej) after Sutheo Meesawat in 1991, Boonchu Rungakit in 1992 and 2004 and Prayad Marksaeng in 2013.
“I’m quite confident that I can win it again,” said the former SEA Games gold medallist, who has posted two top-five finishes this year, at the Myanmar Open and Panasonic Open Championship in Japan.
“I have skipped two events to concentrate on this one. The greens and fairways are in better condition than last year, although the key is still the same - to hit the fairways. You need to do that as much as possible if you want to shoot low scores.”
Rattanon, a one-time Asian Tour winner, so far has just the one win this season, at a local All Thailand Tour event in Khon Kaen in February.
“I will try to stay away from pressure. I need to focus on my game plan, playing one shot at a time. If I can’t make it, I still hope the trophy will fall into a hand of a Thai,” he added.
Apart from Rattanon, the other home hopes are young gun Jazz Janewattananond and the in-form Pavit Tangkamolprasert who just won his first title this year, an All Thailand Tour event in Nakhon Pathom last week.
A total of 156 players from 24 nations with no fewer than 80 local players are taking part in the Thailand Open, the only Asian Tour-level event in Thailand. It is being staged at the Thai Country Club, off the Bang Na-Trad highway.
