Singapore: Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand went down fighting at the World Super 6 in Perth on Sunday but it won't be the last time you see his name featuring on a leaderboard.
Phachara Khongwatmai in Perth.
At the age of 17, the teenager has achieved feats beyond his age and his star continues to shine as brightly as his name which means 'diamond' in Thai.
Despite losing to hometown favourite Brett Rumford at the World Super 6 final match, Phachara earned plaudits for his fighting spirit and his confidence is still soaring high.
His rise in the professional ranks has not gone unnoticed. He made his major debut at the British Open last year and will make a swift return to the year's third major championship after finishing tied second at the Singapore Open which was part of the British Open qualifying series.
Since then, he has not missed a single cut and his runner-up finish in Perth saw him move to second place on the Asian Tour Order of Merit. He also broke into the top-200 by moving 57 spots to 149th position on the world rankings.
"You know, when I play in tournaments, I don't have a goal. I only hope to make the cut because I don't want to give myself any pressure. It has been working for me so far so I will continue to focus on my own game," said the lanky Thai.
Phachara reached the match play stage at the World Super 6 in sensational style.
He secured the 24th and final spot after the third attempt at the play-off holes and dispatched of Australians Sam Brazel, Lucas Herbert, Matthew Millar and Jason Scrivener before facing off with Rumford.
"I did not feel any pressure. After taking the last spot [on Saturday], I was already very happy. I just told myself to play well and enjoy. Even when I was 1-down after the fourth hole, I told myself to just play good, just try for another birdie. Doesn't matter if I win or not. Second place is already a very good result for me," said Phachara.
The Order of Merit race is shaping up nicely after four tournaments on the Asian Tour.
David Lipsky of the US, the 2014 Asian Tour No.1, continues to lead the rankings on US$333,330 following his runner-up result at the Maybank Championship a fortnight ago.
Phachara trails in second place on $251,722 while evergreen Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand, winner of the Singapore Open, sits in third place on $182,362.
The Asian Tour will travel to the $1.75 million Hero Indian Open to be held from March 9-12.