It is a new week and a new challenge on the Ladies European Tour (LET) as the second event of the Thailand double header takes place with the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge.
A field of 144 players from 32 countries will take to the Waterside Course at Siam Country Club to compete in a Modified Stableford format across four days.
The US$750,000 event which is co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and Asian Tour sees men and women compete for the same prize fund and trophy.
Chanoknan Angurasaranee finished as the leading female at the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup as she ended the tournament in a tie for sixth place on 15-under-par.
It was the best result of the 2022 season for the teenager, who has only been playing golf for seven years, and prompted a slight change of plans.
Thanks to her top-10 finish the 17-year-old, who turns 18 next week, earned a spot in the field for the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge.
So, instead of flying to the United States to get ready for the Epson Tour on Friday, she will now leave after competing this week.
“I was very impressed with myself last week, I didn’t think I was going to play that well,” said Angurasaranee, who now sits at 431 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. “It was a whole different level playing Asian Tour and LET players. I enjoyed every second of playing with the men.
“My goal is to get in the top ten on Epson Tour and to try to get into the LPGA and seeing the other Thai girls do well gives me the motivation to go after it and makes me believe I can go there and do it too.”
Last week’s winner Ratchanon ‘TK’ Chantananuwat will be heading into the week full of confidence after becoming the youngest male player to win on one of the game’s major Tours.
But the 15-year-old amateur has no plans to dive into the professional ranks and will be looking to build on last week’s performance.
“I actually had no confidence coming into the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup. I wasn’t striking the ball well, but now that I have won an Asian Tour event my confidence will grow,” said the Thai teenager, who will play with American Sihwan Kim and compatriot Arpichaya Yubol this week.
Scotland’s Michele Thomson finished in the top 10 last week with rounds of 70, 69, 67 and 69 leaving her at a total of 13-under-par, despite having no clubs until the day before the tournament.
The result ensured the Scot leapt up to sixth in the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol rankings and is looking forward to the week ahead on a course that suits her.
The first round of the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge begins at 6.40am local time on Wednesday 13th April.
Follow all the action on @LETGolf on Instagram and Twitter and Ladies European Tour on Facebook and YouTube – #RaiseOurGame #TrustGolfAsianMixedStablefordChallenge.
