Jazz Janewattananond said he was inspired by Thailand’s gold medal in the Taekwondo ahead of his first round 64 in the Olympic men’s golf competition on Thursday.
The gold medal, which was won by Panipak Wongpattanakit on Saturday, was Thailand’s first in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic games, first-ever in taekwondo, and just the country’s 10th gold medal in history.
Understandably, it was a feat that was playing in the mind of the 25 year old before he got his own Olympic Games underway, because it reminded him of what being in Toyko and representing Thailand really means.
“It feels really good to be out there representing Thailand,” said Janewattananond, who currently sits one stroke behind first round leader Sepp Straka, who is representing Austria.
“That gold medal from the Taekwondo is still in my mind, playing that big role for sure, that remind me of why we are here playing for tie land, playing for the country.
“I mean we literally watch it on the TV in the recreation room in the village and it was pretty special. Me and Gunn our teammate watched it together. It's just two of us versus like 20 Spanish guys surrounding us. So it was, you don't want to scream too loud, you I don't want to get killed there, but it's playing a role for this day for sure.
“We haven't had one gold medal in a long time I don't think. But it's good to see it live live. Like I'm right there in the village stage in the same floor in the same building as her.”
Opening round 64 ✍️@jazzjanegolf gets his first games off to the perfect start. #Olympics | @Workday pic.twitter.com/bgpBhDUxiP
— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) July 29, 2021
Janewattananond credited that idea of being part of a team as a key factor in his mind-set this week.
And while he has already experienced all four Major Championships in golf, Janewattananond likened the nervous feeling of competing an Olympics to teeing up at his first Masters Tournament.
*Playing golf with a different mindset,” he explained.
“You're playing, you're not playing for yourself you're playing for the country, you're playing for the medals, you're just going for it, you're just playing with all your heart, it's different.
“I know I got really nervous at the Masters but this is almost as nervous I think it's almost more nervous than at the Masters pretty much. When they say Jazz Janewattananond from Thailand I'm like, oh, we got to go now."
The multiple Asian Tour winner got off to the perfect start with a birdie at the first, and after six straight pars followed he then made a run of four in a row around the turn to get to five under.
He would post one more birdie before a weather delay halted play, and he came back to end his round with a birdie at the final hole to get to within one of Straka.
"I mean it's early in the tournament, you can't win the tournament on the first day, but you can get yourself a good position for sure," he said. "So I think I did that, I put myself in a good position and I just tried to hang on and try to keep going on."
He will go into the second day of play two ahead of Thomas Pieters and Carlos Ortiz.
