If there is one player who could steal the thunder of the teenagers on the Asian Tour this week at the $750,000 Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge, then look no further than in-form American Paul Peterson.
The talented lefthander, with the purest of golf swings, claimed joint third place last Sunday in the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup – sensationally won by 15-year-old Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwat – for yet another fine finish in 2022: he was equal fifth in the International Series Thailand last month, and The Singapore International in January, and sits in sixth place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit.
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“We are on the precipice of something really good,” said the 33-year-old from Arizona, who also has not missed the cut on the Asian Tour since the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup in May of 2019.
Related: Thai sensation Ratchanon doesn’t stop surprising
“I have been working on some things on my swing to minimize some of the curve that happens for me, so little bit technical stuff. Had some good feelings with the putter last week. But I felt like I game planned it and controlled it well. Hit some good putts out there on the back nine, and you want to give yourself a good chance on the back nine on Sunday. I didn’t feel like I hit a bad putt.”
He was paired with Thailand’s Ratchanon in the penultimate group on Sunday, at Siam Country Club’s Waterside Course, and just as the teenage amateur was starting to pull away the American gave him a fright when he holed his bunker shot on 16 for a birdie to close the gap to two.
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Said Peterson: “The hole out on 16 was awesome as I have really been working hard on my short game so that’s great to show itself under pressure.”
He finished three strokes behind Ratchanon, and one behind second place Joohyung Kim from Korea after carding a four-under-par 68 to finish 17 under. Both Ratchanon and 19-year-old Kim compete this week.
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“I called it in my interview before, I thought 20 would win and I figured someone would come out firing, but I can’t be disappointed,” said Peterson, who has won once before on the Asian Tour in the 2018 Myanmar Open, and also claimed the 2016 Czech Masters on the European Tour.
“I said 20, I thought I would get to 18. All in all, I was happy with the way I played, I didn’t make many mistakes. I feel like the game has been trending in the right direction and you know, the consistency has been up. So that’s what I’m happy about.”
Like last week, this week’s event, which tees-off tomorrow, is also being jointly sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour and is being played on the Waterside Course.
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Said Peterson: “I did play in a mixed event in Northern Ireland where it was kind of two events in one. But the girls in the first couple days here last week were great. Really nice ladies and fun to watch them play.”
The Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge will use the Modified Stableford scoring format, which encourages aggressive play.
Unlike traditional scoring methods, where the aim is to have the lowest score, the objective in a Modified Stableford tournament is to have the highest score.
Modified Stableford awards points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole: albatross 8 points, eagle 5 points, birdie 2 points, par 0 points, bogey: -1 point, double bogey or more: -3 points.
The strategy in Modified Stableford formats can, in most instances, be summed up in three words: “Go for it.” This scoring format will reward risk-taking on the golf course.
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