Asian Tour Yearbook: 2023

but then mainly putting was the problem. Now I’ve switched back to the same putter I used at the Indonesian Masters and it’s getting better,” said Sarit, whose spirits were lifted with back-to-back rounds of two-under-par 70 for a share of 17th place at the half-way stage, five shots off the pace being set by Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra. “To be honest I just wanted to come here and have fun. It’s been a tough year, missing a lot of cuts. My iron game and my putting were the problem, especially the putting,” added Sarit, who sprung to life on day three with a 65 to soar into joint second spot with China amateur Ding Wenyi, three strokes behind new leader Chen Guxin. Confidence restored, Sarit followed that up with a stunning, blemish-free eight- under 64 to complete arguably the most dramatic turnaround of the season. Over the weekend he was 15-under. With the putter in his hands, he just couldn’t miss. “My putting was lights out. It’s insane! I feel like I saw every line, saw how to putt. I saw everything,” said Sarit, who collected a cheque for US$270,000 and leapt from 85th to 12th in the Asian Tour’s Merit standings. On the final day, it had not taken long for Sarit to reel in Chen with three birdies on the trot from the second hole. However, it was the par-four seventh hole Sarit Suwannarut [RIGHT] was unstoppable on the final day. Taichi Kho [BELOW] chipped in for an eagle two on 18 to tie for second with Chen Guxin [FAR RIGHT]. that proved pivotal. While Sarit snared his fourth birdie of the day there, Chen ran up a double-bogey six. All of a sudden, the Thai was three strokes ahead. Although 20-year-old Chen reduced the gap to two by the turn, any lingering hopes of becoming the seventh and youngest home winner of the Volvo China Open were extinguished at the short 12th where he fell four behind, dropping another shot while Sarit holed a birdie putt. From there, Sarit cruised home unchallenged with further birdies on 14, 17 and 18 to become only the second Thai winner of China’s national Open after Prayad Marksaeng in 1996. “The putting of Sarit was extraordinary. He holed everything and played very well. By contrast, I just played badly. I need to learn how to play well in the final round,” said Chen, a two-time winner on the Asian Development Tour in 2022 who calls himself ‘Mr 54’ as he’s struggled to finish off tournaments on the final day. That was again the case at Hidden Grace where a closing 73 left him in joint second with Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho. A week after his historic gold medal- winning display in the men’s individual event at the Hangzhou Asian Games, Kho chipped-in for an eagle on the par-four 18th for a closing 65. 124 VOLVO CH I NA OPEN H I D D E N G R A C E GO L F C L U B | NOV EM B E R 2 - 5 , 2 0 2 3 | P R I Z E MON E Y U S $ 1 . 5 M I L L I ON