Thai Pongsapak’s Remarkable Act of Escapology

Charleston, South Carolina, United States: Thailand’s Pongsapak Laopakdee held his nerve to produce a remarkable act of escapology and progress to the Round of 32 at the 75th US Junior Amateur Championship.

Trailing Welshman Caolan Burford three-down with three holes to play in their Round of 64 contest, Pongsapak appeared to be down and out at the par-72, 7,236-yard Daniel Island Club (Ralston Creek Course).

But as his opponent tensed up, 18-year-old Pongsapak, who has signed to play at Arizona State University in 2023-24, won the final three holes with pars to force extra time.

Following a weather delay of one hour and 57 minutes, the Thai then holed a 10-foot birdie putt to claim an unlikely victory at the 19th hole.

Fifth at last year’s Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship and a member of the Thai team at the 2022 Nomura Cup, Pongsapak will now face Kelvin Hernandez of Puerto Rico as he bids for a place in the last 16.

Four other players from the Asia-Pacific have also made it through to the Round of 32 with victories against American opponents.

Chinese Taipei’s Chen Chi-chun thrashed Dylan Burcham 6&5, New Zealander Joshua Bai swept aside Brooks Simmons 5&4, Australian Joseph Buttress defeated Kush Arora 4&2 while China’s Fang Zeqian overcame William Walsh by a similar margin.

In the Round of 32, Chen takes on medallist and number one seed Tommy Morrison, while Fang is drawn against Jack Roberts, Bai squares off with Boston Bracken and Buttress goes head-to-head with Bo Carpenter,

Carpenter beat Japan’s Taishi Moto in the Round of 64, the stage at which Harry Takis, Qui Zihang, Stanley Lin and Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat were eliminated.

Australian Takis suffered a one-down loss to Chase Nevins while China’s Qui was beaten 3&2 by Bryson Hughes and Chinese Taipei’s Lin fell to Will Hartman 5&4.

Meanwhile, TK, at 26th in World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), the top-rated player in this field, was outplayed 6&4 by Tyler Sanford.

TK, who became the first amateur to win on the Asian Tour since 2009 last December, survived a stroke play play-off earlier in the day to make it into the Round of 64.

Sanford, who earned the number three seed with two bogey-free rounds in stroke play, said: “I knew his background because my cousin sent it to me this morning. But my mentality was that I beat him in stroke play so I might as well beat him in match play.”

Sanford, who finished fourth in this year’s Class 5A state championship, won three consecutive holes twice throughout the match. He laid up off the tee with a five-wood on the eighth and made a 10-footer for birdie and was four-up after nine holes.

Sanford later hit a seven-iron to within six feet to set up a birdie on the par-three 12th and closed out the victory on 14 when he struck a 70-yard wedge to close range for another birdie.

The Round of 32 will take place on Thursday morning, followed by the Round of 16 in the afternoon. Friday’s quarter-final matches are scheduled for 7 am local time, with the semi-finals to follow at noon. The 36-hole final will take place on Saturday.

Fourteen countries were represented in the match bracket – United States (46), Australia, Canada, China, Chinese Taipei and Thailand two apiece with one from Chile, Republic of Ireland, Japan, Mexico, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Sweden and Wales. The average age was 17.09.