Thai talent Itthipat Buranatanyarat will be aiming to extend his winning streak when he heads to the Sabah Golf and Country Club for the PGM Sabah Championship on Wednesday.
Itthipat, nicknamed Boom, made his mark as one of the region’s rising stars when he claimed his maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) win in the Philippines a fortnight ago before going on to win again on his domestic circuit last week.
The young Thai’s double victories in two weeks has installed him as one of the title favourites at the RM200,000 (approximately US$55,400) event, which is the 10th leg of the schedule this season.
Itthipat will challenge for honours alongside compatriot and reigning Order of Merit winner Pavit Tangkamolprasert, local hotshots Arie Irawan, Wilson Choo and Nicholas Fung, who topped the Merit rankings in 2013.
With his confidence soaring at an all-time high, Itthipat is tipped to continue his consistent run and notch his second title on the region’s burgeoning Tour.
“My game’s feeling good. Winning two events in a row has given me a lot of confidence and I hope to bring forward my good form into this week’s event,” said the 21-year-old, placed third on the Order of Merit following a season’s haul of US$16,416.
“My aim is to finish top-five on the Order of Merit at the end of the season. Winning another title on the ADT will definitely put me in a better position. It’s not going to be easy but I will do my best,” added Itthipat, who turned professional in 2014 and is playing in his first season on the ADT.
Other notable players include Order of Merit leader Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei, Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai, Lam Chih Bing of Singapore and American Greg Moss.
A total of 115 players will compete in the PGM Sabah Championship this week, with the field being split between the ADT and Professional Golf of Malaysia (PGM Tour).
Since it was inaugurated as a gateway to the Asian Tour in 2010, the ADT has grown from five events in the first year to a record 21 tournaments in both 2014 and 2015.
The ADT will continue to reward the top-five finishers on the Order of Merit at the end of this season with Asian Tour cards for 2016.
With the Olympic Games looming in 2016 where golf will be reintroduced as a medal sport, players in the region could earn their spots in Rio de Janeiro by earning Official World Golf Ranking points through the Asian Tour and ADT.
For more information on the ADT, please visit www.
