Hua Hin, Thailand-
Young amateurs will attempt to learn from the pros as they roll their dices in the Bt3 million Thailand Mixed hosted by TrustGolf at the Black Mountain Golf and Resort between November 16-19 in Hua Hin.
Teen prodigy Ratchanon Chantananuwat and three other youngsters – Eila Galitsky, Choncheewa Wongsarat, and Prompot Songkrod will compete alongside professional stars led by former champions Arpichaya Yubol and Chapchai Nirat in the fourth Thailand Mixed event which will be staged under strict protocols against COVID-19.
14-year-old Ratchanon will return to the TrustGolf Tour in high gear following a series of top 10 finishes on the All Thailand Golf Tour including a runner-up position in the Singha Laguna Phuket in early October.
“I took part in the first and second Thailand Mixed events which was fun. It proved a challenge for me to be able to compete against the professional male and female players at the same time. I used to play in the same group with Atthaya Thikikul (runner-up in the first and second edition) and was impressed by her driving distance,” said Ratchanon who finished tied 32nd and 17th in the first and second Thailand Mixed respectively.
“About the Black Mountain, the greens are not easy. If you hit the wrong positions or miss the fairways, you will end up losing scores,” added Ratchanon whose short-term goal is to finally win a title by the end of the season.
Elia, also at 14, won the best female amateur in the previous Thailand Mixed event which took place at the Lake View Resort and Golf Club in Cha-am. She fired a total of 286 for tied 28th place alongside Pannapa Polnamin.
“I was so excited to play in the third Thailand Mixed where I learned a lot from the pros. However, I have never played at the Black Mountain before. But I used to watch live coverage and realized that it is a very tough course,” said Elia from Chiang Mai province.
However, the teenager will have to recover from a back injury she picked up during the Thailand Amateur Open a fortnight ago.
“I’m advised by a doctor to take a week’s rest. After that, I will resume my training and focus on my fitness. So far this year, I have been showing good results, hitting more under pars than I did last year,” Elia said.
For Choncheewa and Prompat, they are upbeat to make their debut in the only Thai tournament which pits male and female players against one another.
“Actually, I applied for the second Thailand Mixed but I was unable to join because of the COVID-19 situation. As the things are getting better, I’m happy to be able to compete again. I’m trying to improve my under 100-yard shots and I hope to gain as much experience as possible from the pros in the upcoming Thailand Mixed,” said Chonticha, also at 14.
Prompat, 17 from Pathum Thani, hopes to turn his season around at the Black Mountain after being far from impressive in his previous tournaments.
“I have competed in six events this year and I’m still not very happy with my form. I’m working on my short game and hope to rise to the occasion in the fourth Thailand Mixed.”
The fourth Thailand Mixed event will take place at the par 72 Black Mountain Golf Club which measures 7,246 yards off the men’s tees and 6,303 yards off the women’s. After 36 holes, the top 60 players and ties will proceed to the weekend rounds while the winner will walk away with the lucrative prize money of Bt450,000.
The Thailand Mixed is organized by TrustGolf, an indoor training center with advanced technology, It is supported by the Sports Authority of Thailand, the National Sports Development Fund, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Bangkok Bank, B.Grimm Company, Bond Holdings, AISPLAY, Bridgestone, Trust Pharmacy, Trust Live Streaming, the Center for Covid-19 Situation Administration and Black Mountain Golf and Resort Hua Hin.
Fans can watch live streaming of the competition on AISPLAY APP, https://www.facebook.com/trustgolfclub, and at TrustGolf Youtube channel from 9 am onwards during tournament days.
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About TrustGolf
TrustGolf, an indoor training center with advanced technology, has supported international tournaments including the “TrustGolf Women Scottish Open”, a Ladies European Tour co-sanctioned with the LPGA Tour event between 2021-2025. A great number of world-leading golfers signed up for the event which helped promote a good image for Thailand. Moreover, Thai female players, under the support of TrustGolf, were given the opportunity to compete in the European event.
TrustGolf also supports Thai players on the global stage. The company signed with Thai No 1 Jazz Janewattananond, the current No 1 player on the Asian Tour. Other players sponsored by TrustGolf include Prom Meesawat, Pavit Tangkamolprasert, Danthai Boonma, Wichanee Meechai, Kanphanitnan Muangkhumsakul, and Prima Thammaraks.
In 2021, a total of five Thailand Mixed hosted by TrustGolf series, a TrustGolf Tour, will be held in 2021 with Bt17 million prize money up for grabs.
In terms of the amateur and junior levels, TrustGolf staged the TrustGolf Thailand Masters 2019, Pro-Am Championship Powered by TrustGolf, and Thai Academy Golf Team Championship 2020.
The company also creates Trust Golf Scholarship to support young players and provide the opportunity to compete in the Thailand Mixed hosted by TrustGolf events in 2021. It also organized projects and tournaments for young golfers such as the TrustGolf Scholarship, Golf to School, and the TrustGolf Amateur Qualifier 2021 which selected players to compete in the Women Amateur Asia Pacific-WAAP), IMG Academy Juniors World Florida Challenge.
