Thai Golfer Now Tops Tour Money List, Ending Seven-Year Winless Drought

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Thai golfer’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert long seven-year winless wait is over after holing a nerve-jangling four-foot birdie putt on the final hole to hold off defending champion Kazuki Higa and complete a memorable wire-to-wire victory at the Yeangder TPC Championship in Chinese Taipei.

The one-shot win over playing-partner Higa from Japan handed him his first victory on the Asian Tour since 2019, after a string of near misses.

As well, Tangkamolprasert’s third Asian Tour win has lifted him into first place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit while it is also his sixth pro career success.

He closed with a six-under-par 66, for a four-round total of 25-under, while Higa – attempting to become the first player to successfully defend the title – posted the same score.

Chinese-Taipei’s Chien-yao Hung secured third on his own by making birdie on the last for a 65, finishing one stroke further back – at Linkou International Golf & Country Club.

His compatriot Wei-hsuan Wang and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond were joint fourth, after carding 62 and 65 respectively.

Pavit’s last win on the Asian Tour came at the end of 2019 when he claimed the Sabah Masters in a play-off. It was his second title on the Tour, as he triumphed at the Macau Open three years earlier, also in extra time, and few would have thought a third would have taken quite so long – although the two-year break caused by the global pandemic did not help.

“You know, words can’t describe this week’s game,” said the 37-year-old.

“I think this is the most solid tournament I’ve played all year. I made only one bogey out of 72 holes, which is very fantastic. But yeah, a lot of low rounds. Still, I had to make the shots because the defending champion Kazuki Higa and me were playing together. He kept coming.”

He described his four on the last as the “best birdie of my life”, while he will also long remember the opening hole, also a par five.

Having started the day with a one-shot lead over Higa he made the perfect start by eagling the first. Remarkably, he played the hole in seven under this week, with three eagles and one birdie.

For most of the day he had appeared on course for a more comfortable victory, and also a record-setting one.

Lying three ahead of Higa with six to play he had not made a bogey all week and was attempting to become the first player in Asian Tour history to not drop a shot over 72 holes.

However, a disappointing bogey on the 13th and a birdie by Higa, denied Pavit the record and also cut his lead to one. His Japanese opponent then birdied the next hole, meaning they were tied with four to play.

Pavit had a chance to move one ahead on the 17th but missed a 12 footer for birdie meaning they were level playing the par-five 18th.

The Thai golfer then took the upper hand by reaching the front of the green in two, while Higa hit his second left into a greenside bunker.

Facing a challenging long bunker shot Higa splashed his ball out to 20 feet while Pavit chipped up to four feet. Higa came narrowly close to making his putt but after it slipped past the hole, Pavit confidently holed out for a long-awaited victory.

He was also able to enjoy the win with his wife Chorphaka Jaengjit, a professional on the Thai LPGA Tour, who was here this week – in particular because they were celebrating their 20th anniversary of being together.

Asked how they planned to celebrate tonight, he said: “Well, let’s see if she wants shabu. I think not only my wife, me and all my Thai friends are waiting and then they’re all gonna ask ‘Hey, where are you going for dinner?’ I think I’ll let them choose.”

It is an important and reassuring victory for Pavit as he came close to winning earlier this year. He claimed second place in the Philippine Golf Championship and was joint runner-up in the International Series Japan.

It’s been a long wait for his third Asian Tour title although he was victorious at the Singha Laguna Phuket Open in 2024 on the Asian Development Tour – where he has triumphed a record eight times.

Higa will be disappointed not to have defended the title, particularly as the Yeangder Group are one of his main sponsors. However, the result is far and away the best result of the year on the Asian Tour for last year’s Order of Merit champion.

“Thought I would just add some pressure to the other competitors like Pavit today,” he said.

“I didn’t hit a good tee shot on the last, second shot I thought I hit it good, but it went into the bunker. I thought my bunker shots were the strongest part of my game but this week I was in the bunker four times and I only hit one good one. That was disappointing.”

The expected challenge from Australian Travis Smyth, the leader of the Merit list before this week, Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, and Miguel Tabuena from the Philippines, did not materialise today.

They were all on the shoulders of the leader at the start of the day, but Smyth carded a 70 to finish nine back, Kho shot a 71 and was eight behind, while Tabuena, playing in the final pairing, came in with a 72 to tie with Smyth – who has moved to second on the Merit list.

The Asian Tour remains in Chinese-Taipei for next week’s Mercuries Taiwan Masters, at Taiwan Golf & Country Club. Rattanon Wannasrichan is the defending champion – another of the many Thai golfers who have been successful in Chinese-Taipei.

  • Copy with thanks to Asian Tour.


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