Cool and calm Kwanchai celebrates win in Nakhon Pathom

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Cool and calm Kwanchai celebrates win in Nakhon Pathom

By Lerpong Amsa-ngaim 
The Nation

 

Kwanchai Tannin

 

Nakhon Pathom - Hua Hin-based Kwanchai Tannin emerged the first player to win two All Thailand Golf Tour titles this season after he beat Ittipat Buranatanyarat by two strokes in the Bt3 million Singha All Thailand Championship at Suwan Golf & Country Club yesterday.

 

Kwanchai and his wife Nutthayaporn burapornchaithanun

 

The 33-year-old from Prachuab Khiri Khan, despite some hiccups, kept his cool to shoot a 69 for a total 22 under-par-266 to snatch his second title this year after the Chiang Mai Open two months ago.

 

“I’m so happy because I never won two titles in one year before,” said Kwanchai, a nephew of Thai golf legend Prayad Marksaeng. “I was nervous at the beginning as several guys were chasing after me. But I tried to be patient and kept hitting the fairways,” added  Kwanchai who would return home BT450,000 richer from the winner’s prize money.

 

Starting the round with four shots advantage, Kwanchai hit a double bogey on the sixth hole and a bogey on the 12th which narrowed down his lead to just one ahead of Phachara Kongwatmai, who just won the GolfSixes Cascais along with Thoncghai Jaidee in Portugal last week.

 

But the 20-year-old young gun endured back-to-back ending bogeys that saw him slip to third following a final round 68 and a total 19 under-par-269 with Itthipat, who hit a low score 65, surging to lone second on 20 under-par-269.

 

“I was a bit lucky that Phachara started missing in the last two holes. Experience really helped me today,” added Kwanchai who admitted he was forced to play golf by his uncle Prayad and his father at the beginning. “I didn’t first like it. It took me for a while to enjoy this sport,” he said.

 

 

Ittipat Buranatanyarat 

 

Ittipat who is the current No 1 on the Asian Development Tour enjoyed his best result since he won the ATGT and ADT co-sanctioned Boonchu Runagkit Championship in January.

 

“I was a bit stunned to finish second as I was six behind the lead at start. But I was playing pressure free this week after having holidays with my family to recharge myself,” added the 26 year-old from Nonthaburi Ittipat who won Bt277,500 as runner-up.

 

 

Phachara Kongwatmai

 

Full story: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/sports/30371203

 

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