Kiradech Eyes Fast Start to PGA Tour Campaign

United States: Kiradech Aphibarnrat hopes to ride on a welcome return to form with a strong performance at this week’s Fortinet Championship, the first tournament of the PGA Tour’s 2021-22 season.

The 32-year-old Thai enjoyed his best finish in over two years last weekend after coming in tied second behind winner Billy Horschel at the European Tour’s BMW PGA Championship in Wentworth, England. It snapped a frustrating period in the career of Kiradech, who featured in the world’s top-30 not long ago.

“I feel really free. I got freedom after regaining my PGA Tour card. I’ve still got my European Tour card in the pocket for next season, so there's nothing to lose. Go out and enjoy the game, swing it freely, don’t have any stress or putting a lot of pressure on myself. I just want to enjoy the way I’m hitting balls, moving the ball around,” said Kiradech.

“It’s been a really difficult two years. Playing with injury is not good. After Covid hit, going back to Thailand and being stuck in the country for eight months and not playing much golf, I couldn’t get any momentum. And I couldn’t control the nerves every time I came back out. I didn’t enjoy the game, didn’t enjoy the way I was working in the last two years. But now it’s a totally different story. Playing with freedom is the best thing in this game.”

The only Thai golfer on the PGA Tour, Kiradech finished outside the top-125 of the FedEx Cup ranking last season and needed to compete in the pressure-packed Korn Ferry Tour Finals, a three-tournament series, to regain his membership through a top-25 finish in the points list. He believes his title run at Wentworth was the reward for the hard work he has put in with coaches Pete Cowen and Mike Walker.

“I’ve played solid golf the last three months. It’s good to start a new season on the PGA Tour with fresh form and being comfortable, really confident going into the first week of the season,” said Kiradech, whose world ranking rose from 516th to 195th following last week’s exploits.

World number one Jon Rahm of Spain headlines this week’s field at Silverado Resort & Spa (North Course), which also includes Japan's reigning Masters winner Hideki Matsuyama, Will Zalatoris, who was named 2021 Rookie of the Year on Monday, fellow-Americans Webb Simpson and Kevin Na and Korean Kim Si-woo.

Due to his current lower Tour status, Kiradech knows that strong finishes in the early portion of the new season are needed to enhance his playing opportunities over the next 12 months.

“I know I have to start well to get the reshuffle, to get back on almost full status again. But I think it’s good timing. I feel I’m playing well and all I need to do is make sure I have enough gas in the tank. I’ve been playing a lot of golf and I’ll carry a lot of confidence into this week,” he said.

Kiradech revealed the right knee injury, sustained during the 2019 Masters Tournament, is not 100 per cent recovered. “I would say it’s about 70, 80 per cent better. It’s not going to get 100 recovery as long as I’m still playing, still walking, still working hard. But I think it’s good enough to play this game now,” he said.