Kiradech plays through pain and settles for a 77 at The 148th Open
Portrush - Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat hobbled through the third round of The 148th Open in pain before signing for a six-over-par 77 at Royal Portrush on Saturday.
The 2013 Asian Tour Order of Merit champion conceded he was far from his best after struggling through pain in his knee at the year’s fourth and final Major.
The Thai only averaged 35.71% in fairways hit as he could not find the right trajectory under windy conditions at the demanding par-71, 7,344 yards course.
“I’m still hitting the ball well but I just cannot apply the right pressure to the ball. I don’t have enough power to hit the ball further with the wind.
“I haven’t been hitting my driver well all day. The iron play is still excellent but not the driving,” said Kiradech, who compiled a three-day total of five-over-par 218.
While he knows he still has another 18 holes to play and improve on his position on the leaderboard, Kiradech is looking forward to recuperating and getting back to his best when the week is over.
“I’m feeling the pain in the knee and I got to go back and rest. I’m looking forward to a good break so that I can recover and play well again. When your body is not ready, it’s really difficult,” said Kiradech.
