RATCHANON CHANTANANUWAT might only be 14 years of age but he is already receiving praise from the very best golfers in the world.
The Thai amateur sensation, who picked up a club for the first time 11 years ago after following his dad to a driving range, hit a 69-71 at the Saudi International this weekend as he continues to show a remarkably swift rise in the sport.
Chantananuwat, nicknamed “TK” after the initials of his parents, finished on level par – three shots inside the halfway cut as he mixed it with some of the best pros in the game.
He is currently ranked 54th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking and 463rd in the Official World Golf Ranking.
And former World No1 Lee Westwood, who played with Chantananuwat in the Middle East, is among those who are incredibly impressed by the teenage prodigy.
When asked about Chantananuwat, he told Golf Digest: “First and foremost, he is a lovely young man. He’s a credit to his parents.
“Secondly, he has a lot of game. If I didn’t know how old he was, I’d still be thinking he doesn’t seem to have any real weaknesses. And those he does have will get ironed out as he grows.
“He also asked great questions. He watched me run one up with a 3-wood on 17 and wanted to know about that.
“He’s got a great opportunity to progress, as long as he doesn’t run into any of the pitfalls you can encounter out here.
“He just has to develop. If and when he does, he’s going to be a very good player.
“Hard to believe he’s only 14. At that age I was winning the Nottinghamshire County Championship. Not quite the same as competing on tour.”
Among Chantananuwat’s other superb rounds include him finishing third in the Singapore International – where he led with just nine holes remaining.
And then two weeks ago at the Singapore Open he produced a round of 68 on Day 1.
That round saw him outperform 2020 PGA Championship runner-up Paul Casey by eight shots.
And Englishman Casey has nothing but praise for the teenager who is 30 years his junior.
He said: “TK is just very, very impressive. His physical skills are phenomenal for a 14-year-old. But he’s going to get bigger and stronger and all the rest of it.
“So he’s not crushing the ball yet. He has all the shots you can imagine – and more. He drives it well, he chips it well, he putts it well. And he’s got great course management, which is amazing for a 14-year old.
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“He plots his way round. But the biggest thing he has is great emotional control.”
TK’s next tournament will be the Sage Valley Invitational in South Carolina in March.
However, he still intends to finish his schooling and then go onto a college in the US where he plans to study for two years.
