Nitithorn Thippong first urge to hold The DGC Open trophy arose when he saw the sculpted piece of metal on the Asian Tour’s Instagram page.
The feeling wasn’t misplaced, after all the 25-year-old Thai has been a pro since 2015. It was only at the start of this season he showed signs that he belonged to the big league with a top-4 at the Royal’s Cup in February.
Related: Yuvraj Sandhu and a new-found liking at DGC Open
The finish was a reflection of Nitithorn’s career graph. After a string of strong results on the All Thailand Golf Tour and a win on the Asian Development Tour, the amiable golfer pulled off his breakthrough on the Asian Tour at the Delhi Golf Club on Sunday.
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All of this is the result of being driven by one mantra.
“When I turned pro, I was good but not good enough. I promised to my coach and myself that I would get better 1% every day.”
This is towards the long-term goal of becoming World No. 1. It is a tall order and Nitithorn is aware. “It is a big goal, and I am not sure if I will get there, but I will try my best,” he said.
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Nitithorn’s campaign on Sunday was flavoured by this never-say-die spirit. Clutching to the slender lead through most of the final round, he succumbed to fall back by two after the 16th. The plot was for him to lose but Nitithorn stayed firm. “I did not lose focus and kept focus on the process.” What followed was a remarkable rally which culminated in a two-way playoff with Ajeetesh Sandhu.
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The birdie putt capped what was an emotionally and physically draining day. Apart from the drop-dead gorgeous trophy, there was another sweet twist to the evening.
Since the beginning of this week, the young man averaged five to six chocolate milkshakes per day. Going into Sunday’s round, he had polished off three glassfuls; and amid the heady feeling one suspects he may have crossed the stipulated number.
Final top scores
Nitithorn Thippong 281 (68, 70, 70, 73) $90,000
Ajeetesh Sandhu 281 (69, 68, 73, 71) $55,000
Settee Prakongvech 282 (71, 70, 70, 71) $31,500
Gaganjeet Bhullar 284 (73, 66, 73, 72) $25,000
Justin Quiban 285 (74, 72, 69, 70) $20,500
