Chalisa Limpipolpaibul plays golf with a traditional outfit.
Chalisa Limpipolpaibul may not have set the Singha Panasonic All Thailand Championship on fire with her game, but she certainly stole the show with her vintage dress.
The 21-year-old from Chiang Mai was the cynosure at the par-71 Laem Chabang International Country Club last week with her specially designed “Jong Krabane” lookalike shorts.
Chalisa, who turned professional last year, had taken inspiration from former top player Parichart Wiwatanun who also loves to wear Thai dresses on the greens.
“A few days before the tournament I saw her in shorts. So I asked her for a pair and wore them during the rounds,” said Chalisa, who finished sixth in the tournament, 12 strokes behind the winner Pinrath Loomboonruang.
Thanks to her, the fashion is here to stay with a few others likely to wear the unorthodox outfit on the pro tour. There were critics too. But Chalisa who won the National Youth Games team gold medal in Phuket four years ago, paid no attention to that.
“I think these shorts are cool. I don’t care what the traditionalists say,” said Chalisa, whose best result on the tour was a fourth place at a Thai LPGA event in Hua Hin earlier this year.
Since she is from the northern city, Chalisa plans to use local fabrics to make golf skirts. However, she admitted normal golf shirts are more suitable to play the game.
“There’s nothing to be ashamed of as Thai fabrics, especially from my home town, are beautiful which is something we should promote. But for shirts, traditional fabrics don’t help the golf swing. So I’d rather stick to the modern golf shirts.”
In terms of her career goal, Chalisa hoped to enter the Qualifying School in Japan as she is fond of Japanese culture and the competitive nature of the Japan Tour.
