Red-hot Kanyalak leads halfway stage at Thailand Mixed
The in-form Kanyalak Preedasuttijit shot a second round 68 to lead the halfway stage at the Bt3 million Thailand Mixed hosted by TrustGolf at the Lake View Resort and Country Club in Cham-Am, Petchaburi on Friday.
The 23-year-old from Chonburi, one of the Thursday’s leaders including Pannapa Polnamin and amateur Ramil Saelim, carded one eagle on the 12th hole, four birdies against two bogeys for a combined score of 11 under-par-133 which sent her to the weekend rounds with a two-shot advantage over teenage Pannarai Meeso-us.
“It’s still a good round as I made several crucial putts out there. There was a couple of bad shots like in the last hole where I hit to the rough. As the greens were a bit wet because of the rain, it was tough to guess if my shots were going to the left or right.,” said Kanyalak who emerges a strong contender for the first time since claiming the Ladies European Tour Thailand Championship three years back.
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“It’s been a long time since I led in a tournament. I’m feeling great to be able to play the in the leading group again. What really matters to me is that I’m feeling happy playing golf and I will try to carry this momentum into the next two days,” Kanyalak said.
Propelled by a spectacular form at the front nine where she fired six birdies and an eagle on the fifth, 17-year-old Pannarai came at second with a second round 65 and a midway total nine under-par-135. Despite committing two bogeys against a bogey at the back, the teenager still produced a low round of 65, which was also achieved Chanettee Wannasaen from Chiang Mai.
“I served incredibly and putted well at the front nine. But things changed quickly after the turn. I missed the fairways and had to fight my way back from tough positions. Still, it’s quite a good round for me,” said Pannarai from Chonburi.
“I’ve never been in this position after I turned pro. Everybody will try their best to win. As for myself, I will try to stick to my routine and will try to stay pressure free,” added the teenage girl.
Co-overnight leader Ramil Saelim, with an eagle on the 12th, a birdie and two bogeys, signed off with a 71 for a total eight under-par-136 which placed him at joint third with Chanettee. The latter shot a 65.
“My tee shots and approach shots let me down at the back nine. For Saturday, I have to be more careful and control my shots better to stay in contention,” said the 16-year-old amateur Ramil from Phitsanulok.
Pannapa, one of the three leaders in round one, stumbled to a 75 for a total four under-par-140.
The Thailand Mixed hosted by TrustGolf is supported by the Sports Authority of Thailand, the National Sports Development Fund, the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Bangkok Bank, B.Grimm Company, Bond Holdings, AISPLAY, Bridgestone, Trust Pharmacy, Trust Live Streaming and the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration.
Fans can watch live streaming of the 3rd Thailand Mixed hosted by TrustGolf on AISPLAY APP, https://www.facebook.com/trustgolfclub and at TrustGolf Youtube channel from 9am onwards during tournament days.
