Jakraphan Premsirigorn lifted up his second career title following a record 50 points to beat Filipino Justin Raphael Quiban after the final round of the Bt3.45 million Thailand Mixed Stableford Challenge at the par-73 St. Andrews 2000 in Rayong on Friday.
With a huge 14-point lead going into the final round, the Thai-Hong Kong player, despite shooting just two birdies with one bogey, comfortably preserved his lead to the very end. He added three points in the final for his tally of 50 points.
Jakraphan’s outstanding performance not only secured his victory but also set a new record in the Thailand Mixed Stableford competition. This accomplishment surpassed the previous record set by Sihwan Kim from the United States, who won the Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge with a score of 49 in April of the previous year.
“It was a challenging round for me, as I struggled to shoot scores. The pressure of leading the tournament affected my putting,” shared Jakraphan. He began the round by paring the first six holes, but it was on the seventh hole that he finally managed to break the ice and earn his first two points.
“Dragon (Atiruj Winaicharoenchai) had an exceptional performance on the front nine. I can’t deny that I felt stressed during that stage. So I tried to stay at the present, hitting one shot at a time and didn’t think far ahead,” he added.
“It wasn’t until the 16th hole that I realized I was in the lead. I didn’t check the leaderboard myself, but my caddy informed me of my position,” Jakraphan revealed. This victory ended a long title drought for him since winning his first championship on the All Thailand Golf Tour in Khon Kaen back in 2017.
“I am incredibly overwhelmed to finally win a tournament again. This victory has given me a significant confidence boost for the remainder of the season, and I am determined to win more. That’s my plan going forward,” added Jakraphan, who will be participating in the upcoming All Thailand Golf Tour in Phuket next week.
Quiban, the only foreigner in the top 10, scored 8 points from five birdies against two bogeys to finish nine points behind with a total 41.
A point behind at lone this was young gun Atiruj who won the Thailand Mixed Stableford Challenge at Thana City Golf Club in last August. He accumulated an impressive 12 points in the final, resulting in a total score of 40.
“It’s really hard to close the gap on the leader when the margin is so wide. The remaining competitors and I were essentially competing for the second position. It’s unfortunate that I ended up in third place,” expressed the 23-year-old golfer from Chonburi.
The upcoming Thailand Mixed series will be held at Gassan Khuntan Golf and Resort in Lamphun. The third edition of the series will kick off with the Thailand Mixed Cup, a 72-stroke play event scheduled to take place from June 15 to June 18. Following that, the Thailand Mixed Stableford Challenge will be held at the same venue from June 21 to June 24.
TrustGolf, an indoor training center with cutting-edge technology, has been spearheading the organization of the Thailand Mixed for three consecutive years, providing a platform for male and female players to hone their skills. The tour is supported by the Sports Authority of Thailand, National Sports Development Fun, Tourism Authority of Thailand, Tourism Authority of Rayong, Bangkok Bank, B. Grimm Company, Bond Holdings, AIS Airplay, Bridgestone, Trust Pharmacy, Trust Live Streaming, Adidas Golf, Balance Golf Nutrition, Leborn, LMV, Udommpanich, St. Andrews 2000 and Barcelona Valley