CHON BURI: The region's top amateur golfers will congregate for the 13th Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship (AAC) at Amata Spring Country Club next month.
All eyes will be on local hero Ratchanon "TK" Chantananuwat during the Oct 27-30 tournament.
Ratchanon, 15, is the highest-ranked player in the field at No.12 and is looking to become the first player from Thailand to win the AAC.
The previous top finish by a Thai player was a T3 result accomplished by Tanapat Pichaikool in Shanghai in 2019.
Ratchanon is ready to change that, having played in several professional events.
In April, he became the youngest male player to win on one of the game's major tours with his triumph at the Asian Tour's Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup.
He also finished runner-up in the R&A Junior Open.
"I am really looking forward to playing my first Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship," said Ratchanon.
"No Thai player has ever won the title and I want to be the first one who does that, especially this year when the championship is being organised in our country. Playing the Masters at Augusta National and the [British] Open would be a dream come true for me, and I have the chance to realise that dream by doing well in the AAC."
An invitation to play in the Masters and the British Open is given to the winner, while the runner(s)-up will gain a place in the Open qualifying series.
Other Thais in the 2022 ACC include Ashita Piamkulvanich, Weerawish Narkprachar, Pongsapak Laopakdee, Jomyuth Luangtana-anan and Jiraphat Rujirawat.
Over the AAC's 13-year history, the championship has served as a springboard to some of the world's top players today.
AAC alumni have gone on to win 23 PGA Tour tournaments, highlighted by Hideki Matsuyama at the 2021 Masters and Cameron Smith at the 2022 Brtitish Open.