Thai teen takes control

TEULON — Teerawut Boonseeor blocked out the wind, a competitive field and an unfamiliar golf course Monday and went low on Day 1 of the Manitoba junior men’s golf championship.

The 14-year-old phenom from Thailand, who has a strong family connection to the province, fired a five-under-par 67 to establish a four-shot lead.

Despite gusts of 40 km/h, Boonseeor put in a tremendous tour of the course about 40 minutes north of the city. He made an eagle and six birdies, including one on the 18th hole to finish strong.

Boonseeor is visiting family in the prairie province but gusting winds aren’t usually a factor when he plays at home. The young golfer said he had practised with similar conditions before, which helped him stay composed during the opening round.

“I learned to play with the wind,“ said Boonseeor. “In Thailand, we don’t really have this kind of wind, but I practise at other courses and they have exactly the same wind so I (was) pretty confident.”

Boonseeor said his approach off the tee was key to a successful start.

“My tee shot worked pretty good, the first couple holes were a little bit sketchy but I got around it,” he said.

While Boonseeor is certainly the talk of the tournament early on, 17-year-old Grady Chuback is not far behind. Chuback, who golfs out of St. Charles in Winnipeg, is alone in second spot at one-under par.

Carson Inman of Breezy Bend and Terence Rafferty of Southwood are tied for third place at one-over.

The 54-hole event wraps up Wednesday.

“Keep the shots low… most of the shots I tried to keep low, keep out of the wind which made it a lot easier,” said Chuback.

On the junior women’s side, 16-year-old Jeri Lafleche of Clear Lake carded a two-over par 74 and holds a two-stroke lead over Addison Kartusch of St. Charles.

Lafleche admitted to some early struggles but found her rhythm and went one-under on the back nine.

“The front nine was a little rough, but then shooting one under on the back definitely helped,” said Lafleche, who prioritized steering clear of trouble and reaching the putting surface in regulation.

“My putter was OK today but it wasn’t saving me, so making sure I was on the green was key,” she added.

Boonseeor plays all year long in Thailand. He and his family try to visit relatives in Manitoba every few years, and he usually gets a few games in. His stepfather, Wyatt Stitt, is from Manitoba and has a few relatives here, including his parents.

The local junior championship is an opportunity for Boonseeor’s close supporters to actually see him play.

“He plays all year round in Thailand, and with my family being here it’s just a convenience thing. Obviously, his grandma and his grandpa want to see him play so we put him in a tournament here at home where his family can come and see him once per year,” said Stitt.

Boonseeor got his start in the sport watching Stitt hit balls at their local driving range.

“When he was three or four years old, I would always be at the driving range where we lived and he would want to come along so badly, and eventually I picked him up a set of Paul Frank toy clubs with the monkey on them and he started whacking balls at the driving range just like dad,” said Stitt.

Boonseeor’s golf swing quickly impressed his stepfather.

“He had pretty good speed even when he was really young and I just thought, ‘This kid’s athletic. We better keep it going and see what he’s got.’”

While he’s still young and has many years of develpment ahead, Boonseeor hopes to be one of the first Thai players on the PGA tour.

“I am trying to be the first consistent Thai player to be on the PGA tour,” said Boonseeor.

While his golf game is mature beyond his years, he displays his youthfulness in some other ways. The teen was asked to name his favourite golfer — Tiger Woods, perhaps?

“Tiger is a little old now, so maybe Justin Thomas.”

[email protected]