Kuala Lumpur: Kiradech Aphibarnrat will be aiming to rewind the clock and kick-start his 2024 campaign when he tees-off in the Asian Tour's season-opening Malaysian Open, which starts on Thursday.
It was 11 years ago that Thai Kiradech wrote his name into Malaysian Open folklore when he eked out a one-stroke victory over European Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari.
With that triumph at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club, Kiradech soared into the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) for the first time in 85th spot.
His seemingly irresistible rise in the game continued in the following years with a handful of wins that led him to becoming the first Thai to get a PGA Tour member card in 2018.
Following that year's World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, he reached the dizzying heights of 29th in the OWGR.
Despite a few bright spots, his fortunes since those heady days have waned, languishing in 475th place in the rankings at the start of 2024.
Competing at The Mines Resort and Golf Club this week presents him with a welcome opportunity to reset after a wretched run of form last year which saw him miss the halfway cut on 12 occasions.
However, a tie for fifth in the DP World Tour's KLM Open and a share of ninth spot in the Asian Tour's World City Championship indicated that Kiradech still has the game to add to his three Asian Tour titles to date.
Further motivation for Kiradech comes from the fact that the Malaysian Open has been afforded Open Qualifying Series Asia status by The R&A with the three leading finishers, who are not already exempt, qualifying for July's 152nd British Open Championship at Royal Troon.
Given the rich rewards on offer at The Mines, it's no wonder this year's Malaysian Open has attracted a strong field as it makes a welcome return to the calendar after a four-year hiatus following the Covid-19 pandemic.
Leading the way are eight of the top nine from the Asian Tour's 2023 Order of Merit standings -- Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines (2nd), Indian Gaganjeet Bhullar (3rd), New Zealander Ben Campbell (4th), Australian Travis Smyth (5th), Thais Phachara Khongwatmai (6th) and Poom Saksansin (7th), Spaniard David Puig (8th) and Hong Kong's Taichi Kho (9th).
Also among the favourites will be American Trevor Simsby, victorious the last time the event was held in 2020, and Takumi Kanaya, one of the rising stars of Japan golf, a winner on last year's International Series and currently 121st in the OWGR.
Other young guns to keep an eye on include Korean Co Woo-Young, a graduate from last month's Asian Tour Qualifying School, and Thai teen amateur prodigy Ratchanon 'TK' Chantananuwat.
