First day lead gives Sriroj hopes of ending title drought
At 49, most golfers look forward to resurrection on the senior tour.
Thammanoon Sriroj still has business to finish on the main tour. The last of his five wins on the Asian Tour came in 2004, so perhaps the prolonged run in wilderness had a part to play in his enormous appetite for birdies on Day One of the Take Solutions Masters.
Though clear of the field by four shots at nine-under 62, he admitted the layout of the Karnataka Golf Association isn’t to his liking --- the layout or the high rough. Couple it with his record here, the Thai doubted if he would make cut. It was a solid start on the contrary, but Sriroj took it that luck was on his side. But after the birdie-making spree spilled over to the fifth hole, it was talent after all, he said to himself.
With just the lone blemish on the 7th, putting was undoubtedly the key and while aware of Khalin Joshi’s record of going a shot lower as an amateur in the past, Sriroj was content following his “process”. Back home, he’s shot lower scores but up against an international field, he wasn’t ready to put pressure on himself.
Without a full card on the Asian Tour for a while, Sriroj secured his playing rights for the season through Q-School, but the scars of the struggle were to be seen. He strained to remember when the last win came on the main tour. He did win on the developmental tour in 2015, but the real test is in pulling it off in a deeper field.
The upswing on Thursday could be attributed to the clubs in the bag --- barring the putter and sand wedge, it’s a brand new set, but Sriroj isn’t pinning his hopes yet, emphasizing that the course didn’t suit his game. Irrespective of the outcome,, Sriroj is chalking out plans after he turns 50 next June. It will be the senior tour alright, but in Japan, as that’s where he feels comfortable, having played there from 2004 to 2008 before losing his card and returning to the Asian Tour.
LEADERBOARD
62: Thammanoon Sriroj
66: Feroz Singh Garewal; Danthai Boonma; Suradit Yongcharoenchai; Scott Vincent; Miguel Carballo
67: Khalin Joshi; Arnond Vongvanij; Om Prakash Chouhan; Maverick Antcliff; Jake McLeod; Anura Rohana; Settee Prakongvech