Chapchai Nirat is a professional golfer that competes on the PGA European and Asian tours. He is nicknamed "King Kong" because of his long drives. He was born June 5, 1983, in Bangkok, Thailand, where he currently resides, and he turned pro in 1998 at the age of 15. He has earned $567,458 in his career. He began playing golf at the age of 4 with the help of his father, Chucheep, who was a golfer for the Thai national team.
Record-Setting Win
Nirat's singular moment came at the SAIL Open in Gurgaon, India, in March 2009. He won by 11 shots and set a world record by finishing 32 under par with his 72-hole score of 256. Ernie Els had set the previous record by finishing at 31 under at the 2003 Mercedes-Benz Championship. Nirat also set records for 36 and 54 holes after shooting 62-62-65-67 for the tournament.
Other Victories
Nirat's first pro victory came at the 2004 Genting Masters in Malaysia. His only victory on the European Tour came at the TCL Classic in Sanya, Hainan Island, China, in March 2007. He opened with a first-round 61 and finished with a 22-under 266 to win by three strokes. He became just the third golfer from Thailand to win a European Tour event. The event also was sanctioned by the Asian Tour and was his first of three victories on that tour. The other two wins came at the Hana Bank Vietnam Masters later that same year and at the 2009 SAIL Open.
Near Misses
Nirat has come close to adding to his victory totals with two runner-up finishes. He finished second to compatriot Thaworn Wiratchant at the Taiwan Open in 2005, and he also finished second at the Volvo Masters of Asia in 2008.
Best Seasons
Nirat's best season on the Asian Tour came in 2007. He had two victories and nine top-10 finishes to end up second in the Asian Tour Order of Merit to Liang Wen-chong of China. Nirat had not been ranked better than 136th in a full season on the European Tour.
Statistics
Through the end of July 2009, Nirat was averaging 72.11 strokes per round on the European Tour and 71.26 on the Asian Tour. He was also making 62.26 percent of greens in regulation on the European Tour and 65.7 percent on the Asian Tour. He was ranked 115th on the European Tour and 198th in the World Golf Ranking.
About The Author
Darin McGilvra is a writer in Southern California. He has been a writer since 1997. He worked as a sports writer and copy editor for newspapers for more than 12 years before becoming a freelance writer. His articles have appeared recently in "The Californian" newspaper in Temecula, Calif. McGilvra holds a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics education from Northwest Nazarene College.
