| James Kon |
WORLD number 36, Kiradech Aphibarnrat cruised to victory at the Richard Mille Brunei Championships after recording three-under-par 68 in the final round of play yesterday.
The Thai star finished the tournament with 23-under-par 261 and is six shots in front of his nearest rival John Catlin of the United States in second spot with 17 under par 267 after four days of competition.
Kiradech‘s compatriot Itthipat Buranatanyarat clinched third place with 14 under par 270, just three shots behind Catlin.
Besides collecting his third Asian Development Tour (ADT) title and cash prize US$10,500, Kiradech also received nine Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points which will bring him closer to his goal of finishing inside the top-30 at the end of 2018.
In a brief interview, the 28-year-old Kiradech said, “Before teeing off today, I was aiming to break the course record of 10 under par 61. But at the first couple of holes, the part didn’t drop so I started very slow. On the back nine, I lost my concentration a little bit. Hole 12 was bad, I hit a bad drive to the right and had to chip it out and then didn’t save par. To win by six shots today is absolutely a perfect week for me.”
Meanwhile, the only Bruneian who made the cut to the final round, Pengiran Wirahadikusuma bin Pengiran Salleh finished the tournament at 42nd, with an encouraging two under par 69 and a total of 284 on par after four days.
“I felt really proud to represent Brunei Darussalam in this tournament and I hope to do it again next time if there is an opportunity,” Pengiran Wirahadikusuma said.
On his performance, he commented, “I feel grateful in today’s round. It was an up and down tournament. I have been struggling especially in yesterday’s round, but Alhamdulillah, the support from fellow golfers, friends and family really helped boost my morale.”
He shared that his parting has improved, but assured that he can still improve his approach shot and tee shot. Pengiran Wirahadikusuma is looking to regain his fitness to prepare for future tournaments.
His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah ibni His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office presented the prizes yesterday afternoon at The Empire Hotel & Country Club.
Also present were His Royal Highness Prince Haji Jefri Bolkiah; Her Royal Highness Princess ‘Azemah Ni’matul Bolkiah; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Abdul Hakeem; and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Bahar as well as other members of the royal family and Cabinet Ministers.