Asian Tour Yearbook: 2023

SAUDI OPEN PR E SEN T ED BY PUBL I C I N V E STMEN T FUND R I YA D H GO L F C L U B | D E C EM B E R 1 4 - 1 7 | P R I Z E MON E Y U S $ 1 M I L L I ON Denwit Boriboonsub [LEFT AND FAR RIGHT] twice made three birdies on the trot on the final day. T o say Christmas came early for Denwit Boriboonsub is the understatement of the year. Sitting in 133 rd position on the Asian Tour Order of Merit (OOM) at the start of December and 30 th on the Asian Development Tour (ADT) ranking, his playing status for 2024 on the main tour was looking bleak. However, in the space of three weeks his world was transformed. He completed a rare hat-trick of titles after recording a brilliant three-shot win in the US$1million Saudi Open presented by Public Investment Fund – the event that brought to a conclusion the Asian Tour’s 23-event, US$35 million season. Two weeks before that he triumphed in the Aramco Invitational, also played in Saudi Arabia and the final event of the year on the ADT, and then claimed the Thailand Open – part of the All Thailand Golf Tour. It was a staggering reversal of fortunes, which also meant he had the distinction of becoming the first player to win the final events of the year on both the Asian Tour and ADT. Victory at the Aramco event, in a sudden-death play-off against England’s WilliamHarrold, also catapulted him to the top of the ADT OOM – which secured his Asian Tour card for the following season. Armed with that confidence his month just got better and better as the 19-year-old Thai shot a final round seven-under-par 64 at the Saudi Open, played at Riyadh Golf Club, for a four-round-aggregate of 18-under 266. Sweden’s Henrik Stenson raced through with a 65 to secure second place while Travis Smyth from Australia was third after a 67. Phachara Khongwatmai from Thailand, the overnight leader, signed off with a 70 and tied for fourth, five behind the champion, with his nation’s brilliant young amateur Ratchanon “TK” Chantananuwant, in with a 66, and Japan’s Jinichiro Kozuma, who closed with a 67. Denwit started one back from Phachara on Sunday and dominated the final day. Three birdies in-a-row from the first and DENWIT, DENWIT, DENWIT! THAI TEENAGER COMPLETES REMARKABLE HAT-TRICK AND MAKES ASIAN TOUR HISTORY 142