FRIDAY, March 29, 2024
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Four women golfers to challenge male stars at Boonchu Ruangkit Championship

Four women golfers to challenge male stars at Boonchu Ruangkit Championship

Pitting women golfers against the men is suddenly all the rage, with four Thai LPGA players led by rising star Atthaya Thitikul handed invites for the Boonchu Ruangkit Championship from Thursday at Rancho Charnvee Resort & Golf Club in Nakhon Ratchasima.

Four women golfers to challenge male stars at Boonchu Ruangkit Championship

 

Spearheading the female challenge at the All Thailand Golf Tour season opener is two-time Ladies European Tour winner Atthaya, who finished second to fellow teen Arpichaya Yubol at last week’s Thailand Mixed tournament – the country’s first mixed-gender pro golf tournament.

Joining Atthaya will be LPGA player Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras, Pattaraporn Mounchoo and 16-year-old Chanokpisut Charoenpattanasatit.

But unlike the Thailand Mixed, where the course was cut from 7,285 yards to 6,277 yards for the women, this time they will have to compete over the full 6,839-yard Rancho Charnvee layout.

“It will be tough but I’ll give it a try,” said current Thailand LPGA No 1 Atthaya. “I want to play continuously so I can tune up for overseas events later this year,” the teen prodigy added.

Promoted by Thai legend Boonchu Ruangki, the 7th edition of the tournament offers total prize money of Bt4 million with the winner taking home Bt600,000 and seven world ranking points. Among the leading male professionals in the 144-player field are ATGT No 1 Pavit Tangkamolprasert and previous winners including Danthai Boonma.

The 64-year-old Boonchu, who won five Asian Tour titles and five European Senior Tour titles, said the tournament offers young Thai golfers an opportunity to hone their game for challenges on the international stage.

“I am really proud to play a part in helping golfers, especially the youngsters, to play and develop their skills,” said Boonchu, who is also a former Professional Golf Association of Thailand president.

“I am sure that these young talents will replace today’s star players in the future,” he added.

 

Four women golfers to challenge male stars at Boonchu Ruangkit Championship

Boonchu Ruangkit 

Boonchu said he remained committed to nurturing the future generation of Thai golf pros but admitted the Covid-19 crisis had made this year’s edition the most challenging to organise.

Pavit will be defending the title he won last year when he finished 23-under, two strokes ahead of John Catlin, for his third ATGT victory.

The tournament will permit entry to a limited number of spectators, while the final two rounds will be livestreamed at www.allthailandgolftour.com and

https://web.facebook.com/AllThailandGolfTour

.Initially scheduled for January, the tournament serves as the first of 12 legs of the 2021 All Thailand Golf Tour which boasts total prize money of more than Bt40 million.

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