Ratchapol Stuns Field with Opening Round 63 to Take Lead in Thailand Mixed

The 2020 Singha Masters winner delivered a spectacular performance on the front nine, firing seven birdies, including six consecutive ones from holes No. 4 to 9. He added four more birdies against three bogeys on the back nine to complete his round with a 63, having six players closely trailing him, just one shot behind.
 

However, the 36-year-old Ratchapol was more than happy with his round, considering the fact that he hadn't touched his equipment for a month due to taking care of his newborn baby.

"I had 11 birdies with three bogeys. Two of the three mistakes came from poor chips from the green fringes, which was something I lacked practice in. I had to look after my baby and just returned to competition a week ago. This performance is beyond my expectations," said Ratchapol, who is from Ubon Ratchathani.

"After 10 holes and being 8 under par, I started wondering if this was real. But I kept playing and tried not to be too concerned about the score. Unfortunately, I made some mistakes on the back nine, but they all happened on difficult holes. I can't complain about that," added Ratchapol, who is still seeking his second win after his only victory on the All Thailand Golf Tour three years ago.
 

"From the Pro-Am event on Wednesday, I learned that hitting the fairways is crucial to scoring well on this course, except for the par-3 holes where hitting to the right positions is key," Ratchapol shared about his game plan. "There are still three rounds to play, so I don't want to think too far ahead. But I will definitely call my wife to check on my baby."

Due to his impressive low round, Ratchapol received the Best of the Day award from Balance Golf Nutrition and Warmup Café.

Six players sat a shot back to breathe on Ratchapol’s neck. They were CharngTai Sudsom, Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng, Natchapol Srinoon, Suteepat Prateeptienchai, Supavee Phatam and Chankyu Park of South Korea, the only foreign force in the chasing pack. 

Witchayanon benefited from his extraordinary performance on the back nine, where he generated seven consecutive birdies from the first to the seventh holes. However, he had earlier exchanged a birdie for a bogey at the front, launching his campaign with a 64. 

"I hit good tee shots, which allowed me to create several birdie opportunities. I also capitalized on those chances, which is why I achieved low scores. I focused on scoring well on the easy holes while minimizing mistakes on the difficult ones,” said the 25-year-old from Khon Kaen.

“My game plan for tomorrow is to stick to my routine and take advantage of any opportunities that arise. However, I need to improve my control over ball speed on this course,” said Witchayanon who finished 11th in the season-opening Thai Mixed at St. Andres 2000 in Rayong last month while his best finish on the Thailand Mixed was at lone 4th at Southern Hills Golf and Country Club, March 2022.