Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat produced one of his better rounds of the season with an opening 5-under 67 to share fourth place at the Puerto Rico Open on Thursday.
The 32-year-old, who has endured a dip in form on the PGA TOUR over the last few years, hit four birdies, one eagle on the fifth hole and a lone bogey at the Grand Reserve Golf Club in Rio Grande to trail first round co-leaders, Chase Seiffert and Michael Kim by two strokes.
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“I’m on to a good start. Birdied the first two, eagle on the fifth, just four under after five. It really pushed me out there; a lot of confidence to pick up. Everyone knows I’ve been struggling for the last few years and I couldn’t even get my ‘A’ game on. Today might be one of the best rounds in the last two years. I hit every shot that I planned but a couple of putts doesn’t drop, especially at the front nine. It’s a decent round of golf,” said Kiradech, who is the only Thai on the PGA TOUR.
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Once ranked in the world’s top-30, the Thai, who holds three wins on the DP World Tour, has not enjoyed a top-10 on the PGA TOUR since finishing tied for eighth at the 2019 CJ CUP in Korea. In six starts this season, he has made two cuts with a best finish of T39 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. He needed to go to the Korn Ferry Tour Finals last fall to regain his PGA TOUR card.
He is hopeful he can turn the corner and re-establish himself in the game.
“This game can change really quick, just one good round, one good event can turn it around. I mean, I know how to play great golf and I still know how to win events, make sure I got an opportunity to put myself in there, give a chance to play on Sunday. I know what I need to do,” he said.
The highlight of his day was the eagle on the par-5 fifth hole where he struck a beautiful hybrid approach from a little over 240 yards to about 30 feet of the flag. “I hit a solid drive down in the middle, smashed my hybrid right on the target I wanted. I didn’t expect to hole it, but wanted to make sure it gets a good speed and a good start line, and if it drops, it’s just a bonus,” said Kiradech, who is now ranked 218th in the world.
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“I’m not really trying to force myself too much, especially from where I used to be in the last three years: top 30 in the world. I always try to put a lot of pressure to myself, try to pull it back to the same spot. But this game is not easy to turn around. You need one good event, and it might bring the confidence up. I believe the swing and everything is not far off. It’s just attitude and my mindset.
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