Kiradech ‘looking for one good week’
PHOENIX: Kiradech Aphibarnrat makes his 2020 PGA Tour debut with a sense of trepidation at the Phoenix Open this week following a topsy-turvy 201819 season.
The Thai star enjoyed three top-5s in the early portion of last season but an untimely knee injury slowed him down as he finished in 83rd place on the FedEx Cup points list.
Kiradech’s world ranking has dropped to 120th this week — he started 2019 in 37th position — and with the Olympic Games looming this summer, the burly Thai knows he has a battle on his hands to qualify for Tokyo 2020.
He is the second highest ranked Thai after Jazz Janewattananond.
Utmost on his mind now is to ensure he is in good physical shape to compete.
“I have to think my body is much better now but it’s still not 100 percent,” said Kiradech.
“I’m looking for that one good week to bring my confidence back to normal. In the past few months, I’ve been working more in the gym and hopefully it’ll be better for me. I’ve been building the muscles around the knee and I think it’s going in the right direction.”
Kiradech hopes his second full year in the US will be more rewarding. He believes he is more accustomed to the golf courses and requirements to excel against the world’s best players every week.
“My coach Mike [Walker] looks at my stats regularly and it was obvious my iron play was not as sharp as what I’m used to. The chipping and short game were not good too and there are a lot of things to improve, which I have been working on,” he said.
Kiradech suffered a partial tear in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) of his right knee during the Masters in April and subsequently played through the injury with several breaks in between tournaments. In hindsight, he felt it wasn’t the wisest decision.
“I’ve not played with an injury before and it cost me a lot,” reflected Kiradech.
“It’s time to prove what I can do. I just need to bring my A-game out and choose the courses to my advantage. In the first two to three months, I will play in as many events as I can. I also aim to play in the smaller events and try to find my first win on the PGA Tour which can make things a lot easier.”