Rattanon aims for more success in Samui
SAMUI: Thai rising star Rattanon Wannasrichan will be shooting for a second straight Asian Tour victory on home soil when he tees up at the US$500,000 Queen’s Cup which starts tomorrow.
The 21-year-old secured his maiden Asian Tour title last month when he romped to a commanding start-to-finish win at the Thailand Open against the likes of reigning Order of Merit champion Scott Hend and 2013 Asian Tour No.1 Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
With his confidence soaring sky high, Rattanon hopes a return to the holiday island of Samui will lead him to another prestigious title.
He will go head-to-head once again with title-holder Hend and a stellar line-up which includes eight of the current top-10 players from the Order of Merit.
Second-ranked SSP Chawrasia of India, No.6 Carlos Pigem of Spain, Bangladeshi star Siddikur Rahman, and Shiv Kapur, another in-form Indian player, are among those tipped to shine in the Queen’s Cup which is sponsored by Bangkok Airways and the Sports Authority of Thailand.
Also in the tournament are Thai veterans and former Queen’s Cup winners Prayad Marksaeng and Thaworn Wiratchant.
After seeing compatriot Chinnarat Phadungsil lift the inaugural Queen’s Cup back in 2009, Rattanon said winning on the Asian Tour soon became his dream which he achieved so convincingly at his national Open.
“I’m really feeling confident about my game and myself after winning the Thailand Open. After that win, I played in an Asian Development Tour event in Phuket in the following week where I also played well [finished second],” Rattanon said.
“I’m feeling very confident about this week. I enjoyed a week off last week but I worked hard at my game too.
“I’m no longer afraid of anyone after the win at the Thailand Open. I’m feeling confident. I just want to go out there to play my own game and not think about the other golfers. I’ve played well here in Samui previously. This course is narrow which fits my game. You’ve got to keep the ball on the fairway. If you do that, it’s not a problem. Hopefully, I will have a chance to win again on Sunday. Now, I’ll just focus on my game and take it one step at a time.
He added: “When I was a boy, I saw Chinnarat win the Queen’s Cup in 2009 and we’re from the same province of Chanthaburi. I was only 13 years old back then and I thought to myself that I would also like to win on the Asian Tour like Chinnarat which became my dream when I was a youngster.”