January 2022, Singapore International Open. Paul Casey (24th in the world ranking, former Top 10 and with five Ryder Cups under his belt) shares a match on the opening day with a 14-year-old Thai boy named Ratchanon Chantananuwat. The Englishman signed a 76-shot card, TK (as he calls himself by joining his parents’ initials to the relief of editors around the world) 68. “He’s impressive. His physical abilities are phenomenal. He’s 14 years old and he’s going to make you bigger and stronger, plus you can get better at everything else. It has every virtue you can imagine…and more. He comes out well, he stops the ball well, he shoots well… and he has excellent field management, which is unbelievable for a 14-year-old. On top of that the biggest thing he has is the great emotional control of him “, Casey claimed.
Chantananuwat, who started playing at the age of 3, made history today by winning (pocketing €690,000) in the Trust Golf Asain Mixed Cup, an Asian Tour tournament held at the Siam Country Club, at the age of 15 years and 37 days. He is the youngest ever to win a tournament on the official circuit. Number 27 in the world amateur ranking won the trophy after signing a sensational birdie on the last hole for a total of -20. Tomorrow he will be in the Top 300, the earliest in history… as he has already done, entering the Top 800, Top 700, Top 600, Top 500, Top 400 and now the Top 300. And next week Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge on the same course. Another victory would put him in the Top 200. “I am very excited, but I felt a lot of pressure. I have to be honest, I was quite lucky,” says Ratchanon, the fifth amateur to win on the Asian Tour and the first since 2009, who studies at Shrewsbury International School in Bangkok. and has no plans to turn pro right away yet. He first wants to study at least a couple of years at an American university.
Casey’s praise, a player with ten Top 10 finishes in majors, is shared by his caddy, John McLaren: “The only person I’ve ever seen as an amateur at this level was Bryson DeChambeau at the Masters who played as an amateur, but he wasn’t 14 of course (he was 22).” And also a former number one in the world, Lee Westwood: “He is a lovely young man and he has a lot of game. If I did not know how old he is, I would still be thinking that he does not seem to have any real weaknesses. And the ones he may have will be eliminated as grow up. He asked great questions too. He just has to develop, it’s hard to believe he’s only 14. At that age I was winning the Nottinghamshire county championship. He races on the official circuit.”
