Chaska, Minnesota, United States: Awaking from a slow start at the 124th US Amateur Championship, Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat has comfortably qualified for the Round of 32.
After surviving a 14-for-11 play-off on Wednesday morning to progress into the match play draw, the highly-rated 17-year-old Thai eliminated American Carson Bacha with the minimum of fuss in the Round of 64.
Next up for the incoming Stanford University freshman is a clash with 36-year-old Bobby Massa, another American, on Thursday. The prize to the winner will be passage into the final 16.
Ratchanon’s hopes of making it through to the match play phase appeared grim after he began his campaign with a four-over-par 74 at Chaska Town Course on Monday. However, a four-under 68 at Hazeltine National Golf Club on Tuesday lifted him into a share of 54th place from the 312 starters.
In the 14-man play-off to determine the final 11 spots in the match play draw, Ratchanon ensured his progression with a birdie-three at Hazeltine’s 10th, the first play-off hole.
A few hours later he was back on the course, winning the opening hole against Bacha and never trailing. With the match all square through 13, Ratchanon turned up the heat, winning the 14th, 15th and 16th to close out the contest 3&2.
Fellow-Thai Phichaksn Maichon’s Round of 64 clash with American Caden Fioroni followed a remarkably similar pattern.
Phichaksn won the first hole and was never behind. Like Ratchanon, he found his range on the back nine, winning four holes in a row from the 12th to post a 4&3 success.
He faces a tough Round of 32 encounter with Welshman James Ashfield, a member of the European Golf Association team that was defeated by the Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation in last year’s Ryder Cup-style Bonallack Trophy in Spain.
The only other Asia-Pacific player to make it through to the final 32 is China’s Paul Chang, who brushed aside American Nate McCoy 5&4. Chang, who reached the Round of 16 a year ago, won the first two holes against McCoy and was always in control.
On Thursday, he will take on American Tyler Mawhinney, who knocked out Vietnam’s Le Khanh Hung 4&3 in the Round of 64.
Mawhinney, a member of the USGA’s inaugural US National Junior Team, built an early two-up lead against fellow 16-year-old Hung, made a clutch par save on the fifth to maintain his momentum, and eventually pulled away late, including an eagle-three on the 15th hole to close out the match.
“It's always easier playing with the lead, at least for me, because you kind of have more control over the match,” said the rising high school junior who was supposed to start classes on Tuesday. “My dad, he always tells me, out of sight, out of mind.”
Bowing out in the Round of 64 were the China duo of Zhou Ziqin and Chang Xihuan.
Zhou was two-up through 12 against Wheaton Ennis but was pegged back to all square. American Ennis closed out the match at the 19th.
Three-down through seven holes, Chang fought back to within one hole before a late birdie burst saw American Noah Kent prevail 4&2.