Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thai: กิรเดช อภิบาลรัตน์; born Anujit Hirunratanakorn,[2] 23 July 1989) is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the Asian, European, and PGA Tours.
| Kiradech Aphibarnrat | ||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Aphibarnrat in July 2014 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||
| Born | 23 July 1989 Bangkok, Thailand | |||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.72 m (5 ft 8 in) | |||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 104 kg (229 lb; 16.4 st) | |||||||||||||||||
| Sporting nationality |  Thailand | |||||||||||||||||
| Residence | Bangkok, Thailand Orlando, Florida, U.S. | |||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | Tanyatorn | |||||||||||||||||
| Career | ||||||||||||||||||
| Turned professional | 2008 | |||||||||||||||||
| Current tour(s) | European Tour Asian Tour PGA Tour | |||||||||||||||||
| Former tour(s) | Japan Golf Tour | |||||||||||||||||
| Professional wins | 12 | |||||||||||||||||
| Highest ranking | 29 (25 March 2018)[1] (as of 10 November 2024) | |||||||||||||||||
| Number of wins by tour | ||||||||||||||||||
| European Tour | 4 | |||||||||||||||||
| Asian Tour | 3 | |||||||||||||||||
| PGA Tour of Australasia | 1 | |||||||||||||||||
| Other | 7 | |||||||||||||||||
| Best results in major championships | ||||||||||||||||||
| Masters Tournament | T15: 2016 | |||||||||||||||||
| PGA Championship | T25: 2013 | |||||||||||||||||
| U.S. Open | 15th: 2018 | |||||||||||||||||
| The Open Championship | T32: 2019 | |||||||||||||||||
| Achievements and awards | ||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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Amateur career
editIn both 2003 and 2004, Aphibarnrat won his age group at the Junior World Golf Championships. In 2007, he was on the gold medal team at the 2007 Summer Universiade and took a silver in the individual event at the 2007 Southeast Asian Games.
Professional career
editAphibarnrat turned professional in 2008 and began playing on the Asian Tour and the Japan Golf Tour in 2009. His first professional victory came in 2009 at the Mercedes-Benz Tour's Singha Pattaya Open, which he won by 11 strokes, earning US$50,000. Aphibarnrat's first Asian Tour win was at the 2011 SAIL Open.[3]
Aphibarnrat's first victory on the European Tour was at the Maybank Malaysian Open in March 2013. The event was co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, thus giving him a second win on that tour. In the event, which shortened to 54 holes due to thunderstorms, Aphibarnrat defeated Edoardo Molinari by one stroke.
He won his second European Tour title at the Shenzhen International in a sudden death playoff over Li Haotong. Having led the tournament at the 54 hole stage, he trailed late in the back nine, but eagled the 17th hole and then missed a birdie putt on the 18th for the outright victory. He would go on to birdie the first extra hole to claim victory. Aphibarnrat became only the second player from Thailand, after Thongchai Jaidee, to record multiple European Tour wins.
In 2018, Aphibarnrat gained membership status on the PGA Tour for the 2018–19 season. He became the first PGA Tour member from Thailand.
In September 2021, Aphibarnrat shot rounds of 64–68 to hold the 36-hole lead at the BMW PGA Championship. A third round 74 saw him fall out of contention. He responded with a final-round 64 on Sunday to eventually finish in a tie for second place, one shot behind Billy Horschel.[4]
Aphibarnrat is sometimes referred to as "Asia's John Daly", a comparison of his "unathletic" physique to the similarly large body type of two-time major championship winner John Daly.[5]
Amateur wins
edit- 2003 Junior World Golf Championships (Boys 13–14)
- 2004 Junior World Golf Championships (Boys 13–14)
Professional wins (12)
editEuropean Tour wins (4)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 Mar 2013 | Maybank Malaysian Open1 | −13 (65-68-70=203)* | 1 stroke | Edoardo Molinari |
| 2 | 19 Apr 2015 | Shenzhen International | −12 (67-69-68-72=276) | Playoff | Li Haotong |
| 3 | 2 Aug 2015 | Saltire Energy Paul Lawrie Match Play | 1 up | Robert Karlsson | |
| 4 | 11 Feb 2018 | ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth1,2 | 2 and 1 | James Nitties | |
*Note: The 2013 Maybank Malaysian Open was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia
European Tour playoff record (1–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2015 | Shenzhen International | Li Haotong | Won with birdie on first extra hole |
| 2 | 2024 | Porsche Singapore Classic | Jesper Svensson | Lost to par on third extra hole |
Asian Tour wins (3)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 25 Mar 2011 | SAIL Open | −16 (68-67-69-68=272) | 1 stroke | Siddikur Rahman |
| 2 | 24 Mar 2013 | Maybank Malaysian Open1 | −13 (65-68-70=203)* | 1 stroke | Edoardo Molinari |
| 3 | 11 Feb 2018 | ISPS Handa World Super 6 Perth1,2 | 2 and 1 | James Nitties | |
*Note: The 2013 Maybank Malaysian Open was shortened to 54 holes due to rain.
1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the PGA Tour of Australasia
Asian Tour playoff record (0–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2012 | Zaykabar Myanmar Open | Adam Blyth, Kieran Pratt | Pratt won with birdie on second extra hole Aphibarnrat eliminated by birdie on first hole |
Asian Development Tour wins (3)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13 Sep 2015 | Thongchai Jaidee Foundation1 | −24 (67-61-68-68=264) | 3 strokes | Prayad Marksaeng |
| 2 | 10 Dec 2017 | Thongchai Jaidee Foundation1 (2) | −14 (65-71-68-70=274) | 3 strokes | William Harrold |
| 3 | 10 Mar 2018 | Richard Mille Brunei Championships | −23 (65-64-64-68=261) | 6 strokes | John Catlin |
1Co-sanctioned by the All Thailand Golf Tour
All Thailand Golf Tour wins (6)
edit| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 Apr 2009 | Singha Pattaya Open1 | −23 (68-65-61-67=261) | 11 strokes | Antonio Lascuña |
| 2 | 22 Jul 2012 | Singha All Thailand Championship | −18 (64-66-69-67=266) | 5 strokes | |
| 3 | 3 Feb 2013 (2012 season) |
Singha Masters | −25 (263) | 2 strokes | Baek Seuk-hyun |
| 4 | 13 Sep 2015 | Thongchai Jaidee Foundation2 | −24 (67-61-68-68=264) | 3 strokes | Prayad Marksaeng |
| 5 | 10 Dec 2017 | Thongchai Jaidee Foundation2 (2) | −14 (65-71-68-70=274) | 3 strokes | William Harrold |
| 6 | 19 Dec 2021 | Singha Thailand Masters | −19 (65-68-68-68=269) | 1 stroke | Phachara Khongwatmai |
1Co-sanctioned by the ASEAN PGA Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour
Results in major championships
edit| Tournament | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T15 | T44 | ||||
| U.S. Open | CUT | 15 | ||||
| The Open Championship | CUT | CUT | CUT | CUT | T75 | |
| PGA Championship | T25 | WD | T68 | T66 | CUT |
| Tournament | 2019 |
|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | T49 |
| PGA Championship | T41 |
| U.S. Open | CUT |
| The Open Championship | T32 |
CUT = missed the half-way cut
WD = Withdrew
"T" = tied
Summary
edit| Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
| PGA Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 4 |
| U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
| The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 |
| Totals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 18 | 10 |
- Most consecutive cuts made – 4 (2016 PGA – 2018 Open)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 0
Results in The Players Championship
edit| Tournament | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Players Championship | CUT | T30 | CUT |
CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place
Results in World Golf Championships
editResults not in chronological order before 2015.
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Championship | 67 | T49 | T5 | T3 | ||||||
| Match Play | R64 | T18 | QF | T40 | ||||||
| Invitational | T40 | 53 | T31 | |||||||
| Champions | 74 | T66 | T55 | T30 | T24 | T4 |
QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = Tied
Team appearances
editAmateur
- Bonallack Trophy (representing Asia/Pacific): 2006
- Southeast Asian Games (representing Thailand): 2007 (winners)
Professional
- World Cup (representing Thailand): 2011, 2013, 2016, 2018
- Royal Trophy (representing Asia): 2012 (winners), 2013
- EurAsia Cup (representing Asia): 2014, 2016, 2018
- Amata Friendship Cup (representing Thailand): 2018 (winners)
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Week 12 2018 Ending 25 Mar 2018" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 5 October 2019.
- ^ Ballengee, Ryan (10 August 2013). "Kiradech Aphibarnrat: Why did he change his name from Anujit Hirunratanakorn?". Golf News Net. Retrieved 3 May 2016.
- ^ "Kiradech seals maiden Asian Tour victory at the SAIL Open". Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011.
- ^ "BMW PGA Championship: Billy Horschel cards bogey-free 65 to claim one-shot win at Wentworth". Sky Sports. 12 September 2021.
- ^ "Asia's 'John Daly' denies Ryder Cup winner to triumph in Malaysia". CNN. 24 March 2013.
External links
edit- Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the European Tour official site
- Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the Asian Tour official site
- Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the Japan Golf Tour official site
- Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the PGA Tour official site
- Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the Official World Golf Ranking official site