Player Blog: Kiradech Aphibarnrat

Well I have to say I’ve been struggling at times this year. I have been working with new coaches Pete Cowen and Mike Walker, and we’ve spent almost 8 months together now. It’s always difficult when you have to change something in your golf swing. The last two months I’ve been getting more comfortable with these changes and I feel like I’ve been striking balls nicely. The mental game has been getting stronger too. It’s taken quite a while to get used to it. The last six or seven weeks I’ve been playing good, then came the Italian Open! I rolled putts quite well, and overall I feel I played nicely, with just one mistake. It felt good to play some great golf!

It’s been a pleasure to be part of the World Golf Championships, especially in Asia.To have this kind of event over here gets a lot of the new generation excited, which encourages them to be more involved in the world of golf. Asian golf has been improving a lot because of these types of events. We’re hoping to get golf in more places in Asia; not just China, but Singapore, Malaysia, and hopefully Thailand, I’m keeping my fingers crossed! This week, I’ll keep trying to play well, focus on my game, just do the same things I’ve been doing recently. I’ve set a goal to be top 10 by the end of the week.

I want to get back into the top 50 in the world again.My best ranking was 37th I think, and I was really comfortable and confident, so my next goal is to jump to a higher world ranking that I used to have. I believe it’s coming soon. The next four weeks are quite important to try and jump into the top ten in the Race to Dubai. It’s not easy with all the great players there at the end of the season. Everyone wants to play well, so I’ll try and bring my A-game out..

I started golf when I was young, and sadly my very first coach who taught me passed away. I thought to myself ‘it would be good to take over the range, take over the academy’. Most of the kids are between five and 12 years old. Our goal is to coach them the right way, teach them the proper way and give them shortcuts if we can. A lot of stuff we use now with the kids help them improve as quickly as they can, much faster than we did when we were the same age. My father also loves golf, and he spends a lot of time on the range. He looks after many of the kids and they are doing really well. 18-hole courses and driving ranges are both really popular in Thailand. At the moment golf is really big. Everyone is playing golf like crazy, whether it be on the range or on a course.

I have to say that before when I won I would buy three things: watches, shoes and cars.Now, with me being married, my wife and I are planning on having a kid really soon, so I might not spend too much more on cars. My next car could be a Lamborghini! I don’t have too much time to drive anymore, but it would be a great thing to own. At the moment I own a Porsche Cayenne, a Ferrari, my wife has a Porsche Boxster. We actually have around seven or eight cars all together, and a big garage for them.

I have been smoking for quite a long time, I’m trying to quit. Kids look up to golfers as their heroes and it’s not a very good look in Asia, playing golf and smoking. One day I’ll get away from it. E-cigarettes are a little better but kids still try and copy what they see us doing.

Before the Masters I had just played a lot of golf, and when we get a week off I like to enjoy my life.We play under a lot of stress and pressure and it’s good to get away. I love jet skiing or fishing with friends, it helps me relax and clear my head ahead of the big events. It worked before Italy; I finished in the top ten. It’s important to relax ahead of these big tournaments.Even if I have one week off I still go back home.Nowhere is better. My family - mum, dad, sisters and wife, they’re all in Thailand. Friends too. I just prefer to go home, it’s much more comfortable. I love to spend time with them all, nowhere feels the same.

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