“When my back is against the wall, I have no room to back off. I had to go for it.”
Kiradech Aphibarnrat wasn’t ready to say goodbye to his DP World Tour future.
The experienced Thai player stormed 19 places up the leaderboard in the final round of Q-school to confirm his playing rights in 2024.
The 34-year-old didn’t make a bogey during his 64 in the sixth and final round at Infinitum, and birdied four of his last six holes to secure a top-25 spot.
“I just tried to bring all of my experience in playing today,” Aphibarnrat told NCG in Tarragona.
“Everyone was going to get nervous in the last couple of holes and there was one more round to earn a card for the whole year – it made it quite difficult.
“But I really controlled myself well. I stayed patient and calm and I’m really happy with the result – I feel great with the way I am playing.
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“The last few holes I controlled myself quite well. I really hit it in good spots, controlled it well and didn’t drop any shots, didn’t make any silly mistakes, so this is the way to play in the final round.”
Losing a spot on the DP World Tour schedule would’ve been unthinkable for a man who recorded top-15 finishes at the Masters and the US Open in 2016 and 2018 respectively.
Aphibarnrat kept his card in 2022 in a similar fashion, coming fourth in the 108-hole event in Spain.
Although he hasn’t won on the DP World Tour since 2018, his eyes are firmly fixed on more trophies with his future secure for at least another year.
“I’m quite tired. The body, the brain,” he added. “Especially when you’re in trouble, when you really need to earn the 25 (25 spots), you use more energy. I’m just really looking forward to having a big rest.
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“When you’re playing in all of the majors, especially the Masters, your best form carries on in that week.
“But this week, everyone on the DP World Tour comes back down to play in Q-school which means you haven’t had a good year, so it’s always difficult to find you’re A-game this week, so it’s totally different.
“There is still a lot of pressure, but here it is more difficult.
“It means a lot – I will look back on this week as it will give me a chance looking forward to earning my fifth or sixth title. This is the start.”
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