With three garrulous Indians giving him company, Chapchai Nirat seemed nothing but diffident and aloof at the pro-am this afternoon. Only after attempts at talking did one find out that the culprit was the tongue. Just 24, the Thai has been on the road for almost nine years now since he turned professional at 15 in 1998, literally exchanging the school bag for the golf one. At the Indian Open, with the top four Order of Merit names missing, his fifth place makes him the best current Asian Tour player in the field. “First two times I came here, I missed the cut in 2005 and was 51st the last time. This year I want to be in the top-ten,” he said in barely-there English. His father a national-level player, Nirat had the genes and the headstart to get going, but four is still maybe rather too early to pick up a golf club. The response to the question, however, is just a shy smile. But in a country fast turning into a nursery of great golfers — four Thai players appear before him in world rankings — Nirat is still only finding his feet. Getting on to the Asian Tour after winning home tournament — Genting Masters — at 21, he continued similar striking form through the tougher continental circuit, but always ended steps away from the top spot. Then in March this year, he struck a goldmine in form at the TCL Classic. “I felt good shooting, no bogeys in the first round there,” he smiled. No bogeys all right, but it was the rather unbelievable 11 birdies in those first 18 holes that gave him the course record at Yalong Bay in Sanya, China and finally his first title in three years. Once a soft drink addict — he was known as coke boy — August this year put Nirat in a completely different setting as he spent three weeks at a Buddhist monastery. “It was peaceful,” he said. And hopefully the new-found peace will take him to his goal this season. “I want to end No 1,” he said.
