American Sihwan Kim got on the birdie bullet train once again today at the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge to take the third-round lead on 42 points at Siam Country Club’s Waterside Course.
Overnight leader Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen, her compatriot Natipong Srithong and Maja Stark from Sweden are second with 34 points, while Budsabakorn Sukapan from Thailand is fifth with 33.
The innovative new US$750,000 tournament is being jointly sanctioned by the Asian Tour and Ladies European Tour (LET).
Sihwan Kim showed just why he is currently ranked the Asian Tour’s number one player by carding an 11-under-par 61 – a remarkable round which was redemption for a very disappointing second round 76, that had followed his stunning 62 which saw him take the first-round lead.
Sihwan Kim won the International Series Thailand at the beginning of March, which was surprisingly the first win of his 10-year professional career, and he has lost none of the momentum from that fine performance as he destroyed the course today with an astonishing 11 birdies, for 22 points.
“I must be bipolar or something!” said 33-year-old Sihwan Kim, who struggled yesterday carding six bogeys and two birdies.
“I don’t know, I just felt a little tired yesterday, but I got a really good sleep and came back out and tried to figure something out on the range. Got a feeling for something, still wasn’t very good off the tee. My putting has just been on fire, I just kept it in play and putted the lights out.
“I haven’t had a 10 under and 11 under in the same event before, that being said, it’s all about putting. I think I have been reading the lines a lot better than last week, last week I could not read them at all, but I think I am getting used to them.”
His lowest round ever in a tournament round came after five birdies on the front nine and six on the back, including on the last four.
The American’s victory last month was the culmination of a fine run of form on the Asian Tour which saw him play in the final pairing on Sunday on three occasions. He failed to secure top spot in those events – he was joint second in the Royal’s Cup, joint fourth in the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship, and fourth in the SMBC Singapore Open – but he is hot favourite to prevail tomorrow with a commanding eight-point lead.
Wannasaen eagled the par-five 18th to register five points and leap up the leaderboard at the very end after a tough day on the course which saw her shoot 71.
She said: “Today my game plan wasn’t as good because my approach shots weren’t perfect like in yesterday’s round, but the eagle on the last hole was good because it was a long putt and I made it. Tomorrow I’m just going to focus on my shot and my routine, and I will try to do my best.”
Natipong fired a 69 to give himself a chance of winning his second Asian Tour title.
“Today my game was okay, but I had two three-putts two holes in a row, number 13 and 14. It was still okay, I hit a lot of greens and had a lot of chances for birdies and eagles,” he said.
“Tomorrow I will still follow my game plan, and if I can play like I did yesterday I think I will have a chance to win again. I hope so.”
Rising star Stark, who won three times last year in her rookie season including two LET titles, impressed again today finishing strongly by making birdie on 17 and 18.
“I didn’t have a great feeling at the beginning, I started off with a bogey. I felt like it was a little bit of a struggle today. I don’t remember much from my round. I feel the heat, it is hot. I do like it when it is hot, but this is to the extreme,” said the 22 year old, who shot 67.
“I think I’m just going to keep going. I think in the first round I was maybe too aggressive with my mindset. I was too aggressive, but not confident enough in my shots so that didn’t work. I think I have a good balance from the past two rounds.”
Former LPGA Tour player Budsabakorn will also be hoping to record a landmark victory for women’s golf tomorrow.
“Today my approach shot was very good, and I was putting well too. I was aiming down the line pretty good,” said the 24 year old, who returned a 66 thanks to an eagle, seven birdies and three bogeys, for 16 points.
“I was so excited about the eagle! I hit it close, and it was a short two-yard putt. That run of birdie-eagle-birdie gave me confidence, but I was also so excited with it too.”
Budsabakorn played on the LPGA Tour in 2016 and has eight wins to her name – including four on the Japan LPGA Step Up Tour in 2019 – but a win tomorrow will be far and away her biggest.
“When I heard about the tournaments, I was so excited and lucky to get a sponsors invite. I’m really enjoying myself and I was a little bit nervous because I had never played a Stableford format before.”
Scores after round 3 of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge being played at the par 72, 7288 Yards Siam CC course (am – denotes amateur):
+42 – Sihwan Kim (USA) +22 -2 +22.
+34 – Maja Stark (SWE) +5 +17 +12, Natipong Srithong (THA) +5 +20 +9, Chanettee Wannasaen (THA) +13 +15 +6.
+33 – Budsabakorn Sukapan (THA) +7 +10 +16.
+32 – Travis Smyth (AUS) +3 +18 +11, Joohyung Kim (KOR) +15 +9 +8.
+31 – Kyongjun Moon (KOR) +10 +15 +6.
+30 – Phachara Khongwatmai (THA) +13 +3 +14, Miguel Carballo (ARG) +8 +13 +9.
+29 – Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) +5 +14 +10.
+28 – Sadom Kaewkanjana (THA) +8 +6 +14, Viraj Madappa (IND) +15 +4 +9, Ratchapol Jantavara (THA) +8 +11 +9.
+27 – Manon De Roey (BEL) +6 +11 +10, Jazz Janewattananond (THA) +12 +6 +9, Natthakritta Vongtaveelap (am, THA) +11 +9 +7.
+26 – Chan Shih-chang (TPE) +7 +8 +11, Danthai Boonma (THA) +4 +14 +8.
+25 – Meghan MacLaren (ENG) +7 +8 +10, Andrew Dodt (AUS) +9 +7 +9, Yikeun Chang (KOR) +7 +7 +11, Jaravee Boonchant (THA) +9 +13 +3.
+24 – Leonie Harm (GER) +12 +3 +9, Chang Wei-lun (TPE) +11 +8 +5, Hung Chien-yao (TPE) +15 +5 +4.
+23 – Todd Sinnott (AUS) +6 +9 +8, Johanna Gustavsson (SWE) +5 +11 +7, Kultida Pramphun (THA) +11 +7 +5.
+22 – Paul Peterson (USA) +6 +9 +7, Berry Henson (USA) +11 +4 +7, Jarin Todd (USA) +7 +6 +9, Dodge Kemmer (USA) +12 +7 +3, Supamas Sangchan (THA) +10 +2 +10, Nitithorn Thippong (THA) +3 +8 +11.
+21 – Micah Lauren Shin (USA) +9 +6 +6, Rashid Khan (IND) +5 +9 +7, Arpichaya Yubol (THA) +13 +3 +5, Supakom Meesom (THA) +11 +3 +7, Mim Sangkapong (THA) +12 +6 +3, Chloe Williams (WAL) +1 +19 +1, Veer Ahlawat (IND) +6 +5 +10.
+20 – Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) +13 +2 +5, Rattanon Wannasrichan (THA) +6 +10 +4, Suteepat Prateeptienchai (THA) +10 +10 0.
+18 – Nirun Sae-Ueng (THA) +3 +12 +3, Gabriella Cowley (ENG) +7 +9 +2, Nobuhle Dlamini (SWZ) +2 +12 +4, Kim Metraux (SUI) +1 +11 +6, Rory Hie (INA) +15 +8 -5.
+17 – Karolin Lampert (GER) +6 +7 +4, Tawit Polthai (THA) +9 +9 -1, Casandra Alexander (RSA) 0 +13 +4, Keith Horne (RSA) +9 +10 -2, Felicity Johnson (ENG) +3 +8 +6.
+16 – Whitney Hillier (AUS) +9 +4 +3, Jack Harrison (ENG) +14 -1 +3, Bio Kim (KOR) +5 +14 -3, Shiv Kapur (IND) +3 +8 +5.
+15 – Agathe Sauzon (FRA) +9 +7 -1, Taehee Lee (KOR) +5 +8 +2, Diksha Dagar (IND) +4 +7 +4, Sirapob Yapala (am, THA) -3 +14 +4, Magdalena Simmermacher (ARG) +7 +4 +4.
+14 – Florentyna Parker (ENG) +8 +6 0, Siddikur Rahman (BAN) +9 +3 +2, Kylie Henry (SCO) +4 +7 +3, Kanphanitnan Muangkhumsakul (THA) +9 +2 +3.
+12 – Benjamin Follett-Smith (ZIM) +16 -5 +1, Elena Hualde (ESP) +3 +8 +1.
+9 – Harang Lee (ESP) +2 +12 -5, Jake Higginbottom (AUS) +6 +5 -2.
+7 – Michele Thomson (SCO) +6 +6 -5.
