A dream come true: Debutant Danthai proud to represent Thailand in British Open
>> Rising star Danthai Boonma is proud to represent his country as he makes his major debut in the 147th British Open, which starts on Thursday at Carnoustie.
The 22-year-old Thai golfer earned a spot in golf’s oldest major championship after finishing tied-fourth at the Asian Tour’s season-opening Singapore Open in January, which was part of the Open Qualifying Series.
He will be flying the Thailand flag alongside Jazz Janewattananond and Kiradech Aphibarnrat in the year’s third major.
Danthai, who won his first Asian Tour title in 2015, is delighted to be part of the elite field. He is among the eight Asian Tour debutants playing at the Open.
“Ever since I started playing golf, I have seen Thai players representing our country at the Open every year. Whenever I saw the Thailand flag flying at the event on television, I hoped that one day I should also represent my country at the Open. I feel proud to be able to fulfill that dream this year.
“Playing in a major championship is the dream of many players, including myself. The experience will help a lot in my game. It’s a great opportunity as I get to play alongside the top golfers of the world. There are a lot of things for me to learn so I am very excited about that,” said Danthai, a double gold medalist at the 2013 SEA Games.
He missed out on his second Asian Tour victory at the Sarawak Championship last week but Danthai was pleased to secure back-to-back top-10 results before playing at the Open.
“Winning in 2015 has given me a lot of confidence. My mental game has improved a lot. I can manage my expectations better and have fun on the golf course at the same time. I tend to play better when I don’t put so much pressure on myself,” said the cheerful Thai.
“I heard a few things about the course from Prom Meesawat, who has played there in 2016. He told me that the bunkers and the winds will make it really tough so I have been practising hard, working on shots which might be helpful on a links course. No matter what happens, it will be a good experience for sure.”
Danthai, who turned professional in 2014, will also have his family for support at Carnoustie.
“I will reach Edinburgh on Saturday [yesterday] and my parents will fly over the next day. I’m happy my parents can watch me play in my first ever major championship. They will be proud of me,” said the young Thai.