Thai Kiradech plays it cool
Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat, whose stocky build and attacking style have drawn comparisons to John Daly, is a shock contender at the PGA Championship after adopting a more conservative approach.
The 24-year-old from Bangkok fired a two-under-par 68 at Oak Hill on Thursday in his debut at the year’s final major tournament to grab a share of 11th, three shots behind coleaders Adam Scott and Jim Furyk.
It was the the best opening round among Asian entrants.
“This week I don’t want to force myself,” Kiradech said. “I can’t say what score I want to shoot.
“I still just tried to play my best golf, just take on the game plan and take on the fairway and give me a lot of chances to putt.”
Kiradech is ranked 85th in the world after winning his first European Tour event, this season’s Malaysian Open.
He shared 40th at last week’s World Golf Invitational event and two weeks earlier, at the British Open, he fired a 72 in the first round only to shoot 85 in round two and miss the cut.
“The Open was tough. Same here,” Kiradech said. “I lost confidence really quickly after I made bogey on the first hole.”
Thai veteran Thongchai Jaidee, a five-time European Tour winner who opened his 18th major start with a 70, has worked to help Kiradech improve his game.
“He helps me practice and he has a lot of experience to teach me ,” Kiradech said. “On this type of course, you have to be focused on the fairways. Your long game is key on this course.”
Thongchai, whose best finish was 13th at the 2009 British Open, began on the back nine and sandwiched birdies at the 14th and 16th around a bogey at 15, then birdied the par-5 fourth only to stumble back with bogeys at seven and eight.
PGA of America officials were asked this week to defend a special invitation to Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa, but the 21-yearold showed why he was invited, opening on 69.
Ishikawa began with a bogey but answered with a birdie at the fifth hole. After another bogey at the seventh, Ishikawa began the back nine with a birdie and added a another at the 16th.
Meanwhile, Japan’s Hiroyuki Fujita shot a 71 to tie world No 1 Tiger Woods and secondranked Phil Mickelson.
An Asian trio at 72 included 21-year-old Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama, South Korea’s Yang Yong-eun — whose win at the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine made him the first Asian man to win a major — and Japan’s 51-yearold Kohko Idoki.
Idoki, who won the Senior PGA Championship to earn a spot at Oak Hill, birdied the second through fifth holes to move within a stroke of the lead before his dream run faded.
He stumbled with bogeys at the ninth and par-3 11th and 15th holes, then closed bogeydouble bogey.