Asian Tour Yearbook - 2022

Thailand specialist reigns in The Kingdom Checkered flag for Chan I t’s not difficult to understand the reasons that Thailand is so close to the heart of Chan Shih- chang and why he holds the country’s Royal family in such reverence. It was in 2016 that the Chinese-Taipei citizen secured his maiden Asian Tour title on Thai soil, at Pattaya’s Phoenix Gold Golf Club in the King’s Cup, a co-sanctioned event with the European Tour. Phuket also proved to be a happy hunting ground for the six-time former Asian Development Tour winner. In late November 2021, in the first event on the Asian Tour for almost 20 months because of the pandemic, Chan emerged triumphant at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship. In the following three months, however, his Chan Shih-chang (RIGHT) led from start to finish. 33 It’s been a great week, claiming the hole-in-one prize and winning again in Thailand. Amazing. -CHAN SHIH-CHANG form had been erratic with three missed cuts from four starts. As such, his expectations were low when he arrived at Kanchanaburi’s Grand Prix Golf Club for the belated inaugural edition of the Royal’s Cup, the second event of the 2022 Asian Tour season. But once more, Chan came up trumps in Thailand, producing an eye-catching wire-to-wire victory that was embellished with a hole-in-one during round two that kept him on the right road to a fourth Asian Tour triumph and a third success in The Kingdom. “It’s been a great week, claiming the hole-in- one prize and winning again in Thailand. Amazing,” said 35-year-old Chan, who holed out with a seven iron from 173 yards at the par-three 16th on day two and won a Toyota Camry 2.5 HEV Premium. It was his seventh hole-in-one but just the second in a professional tournament. “I didn’t play well in Singapore and Saudi and, to be honest, I wasn’t expecting much coming into this week,” said Chan. “I just focused on my routine, tempo and concentrated on every shot. I got off to a good start and that helped a lot. I just kept riding on that good form. That ace kept me going as well. I was able to play my best game out there. I got my swing back R O YA L ’ S C U P G R AND P R IX GO LF C LUB , K ANCHANABU R I | FEB RUARY 24 -27, 2022 | P R IZE MON E Y US$ 40 0,0 0 0