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Ratchanon Chantananuwat

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Ratchanon Chantananuwat
Personal information
NicknameTK
Born (2007-03-04) 4 March 2007 (age 19)
Bangkok, Thailand
Sporting nationality Thailand
Career
CollegeStanford University
StatusAmateur
Professional wins1
Number of wins by tour
Asian Tour1
Medal record
Men's golf
Representing  Thailand
SEA Games
Gold medal – first place 2023 Phnom Penh Team
Silver medal – second place 2021 Hanoi Team

Ratchanon "TK" Chantananuwat (Thai: รัชชานนท์ ฉันทนานุวัฒน์; born 4 March 2007) is a Thai amateur golfer who won the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup on the Asian Tour as an amateur in April 2022. He became the youngest golfer to win on a tour recognized by the Official World Golf Ranking at the age of 15 years and 37 days.[1][2]

Early life

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Chantananuwat was born in Bangkok, Thailand. He began playing golf at the age of three. His nickname, "TK", is derived from the initials of his parents.[3] His father has acted as his caddie and coach, and Chantananuwat has also been mentored by Thongchai Jaidee.[4]

Amateur career

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Chantananuwat recorded several notable junior and amateur results before his breakthrough on the Asian Tour. In 2020, at the age of 13 years, four months and 18 days, he became the youngest player to make the cut on the All Thailand Golf Tour, finishing tied for 36th at the Singha Pattaya Open.[5] Later that year, while still four months short of his 14th birthday, he retained his Faldo Series Hua Hin title at Banyan Golf Club, finishing on 14-under-par 202 and winning by nine strokes.[5]

In November 2021, Chantananuwat made the cut on his Asian Tour debut at the Blue Canyon Phuket Championship. At 14 years and 286 days old, he became the third-youngest player to make the cut on the tour, after rounds of 71 and 72.[6] He closed with a seven-under-par 65 and finished tied for 15th at 12-under-par.[7] In January 2022, he finished third at The Singapore International on the Asian Tour.[3]

In April 2022, Chantananuwat won the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup, an Asian Tour event held at Siam Country Club in Thailand, defeating Tom Kim by two strokes. At 15 years and 37 days old, he became the youngest winner of an Official World Golf Ranking event.[2]

At the 2021 SEA Games in Vietnam, held in May 2022, Chantananuwat was part of Thailand's silver medal-winning men's team. He won his match in the final, but Thailand lost 2–1 to Malaysia.[8]

Later in 2022, Chantananuwat played in the inaugural LIV Golf Invitational London at Centurion Club while still an amateur, finishing tied for 38th.[9]

In February 2023, Chantananuwat made the cut at the PIF Saudi International on the Asian Tour and finished tied for 66th.[10] During the tournament, he had opened with rounds of 67 and 66 to sit tied for sixth after 36 holes.[11]

At the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia, he was part of the Thai men's team with Arsit Areephun and Jiradech Chaowarat. Thailand defeated Vietnam 2–1 in the final to win the gold medal.[12]

In June 2023, Chantananuwat entered The Amateur Championship at Hillside Golf Club in England. He reached the semi-finals, where he was defeated by Ronan Kleu.[13]

Chantananuwat returned to the PIF Saudi International in 2024 and finished tied for ninth.[14][15]

Chantananuwat reached as high as sixth in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. When he joined Stanford University, he was ranked 55th in the WAGR.[16]

College career

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Chantananuwat joined the Stanford Cardinal men's golf team for the 2024–25 season. As a freshman, he was named to the All-ACC Academic team and recorded a scoring average of 71.57 over 30 rounds. He had two top-10 finishes and five top-20 finishes, with a low round of 66 at the 2025 Amer Ari Intercollegiate and a best finish of eighth at the Western Intercollegiate.[16]

During his sophomore season, Chantananuwat was removed from Stanford's roster after what head coach Conrad Ray described as a violation of team rules. Golf Channel reported that he had played 17 events for Stanford over two seasons, recording four top-10 finishes, including a runner-up finish at The Prestige earlier in 2026.[17]

Amateur wins

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  • 2020 TJDT Invitational, Faldo Series Thailand Championship - Hua Hin

Source:[18]

Professional wins (1)

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Asian Tour wins (1)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score Margin of
victory 		Runner-up
1 10 Apr 2022 Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup1
(as an amateur) 		−20 (63-70-70-65=268) 2 strokes South Korea Tom Kim

1Mixed event with the Ladies European Tour

Team appearances

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References

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  1. ^ "Ratchanon sets world record". Bangkok Post. 11 April 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Teenager Ratchanon "TK" Chantananuwat makes history with Trust Golf Asian Mixed Cup victory". Sky Sports. 10 April 2022. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
  3. ^ a b Tham, Dan; Bantock, Jack (26 May 2022). "Golf's history-making schoolboy: The hectic double-life of 15-year-old Ratchanon 'TK' Chantananuwat". CNN. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  4. ^ Hall, Mike (10 October 2024). "Ratchanon Chantananuwat Facts: 15 Things You Didn't Know About The Thai Golfer". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  5. ^ a b Robinson, Spencer (10 December 2020). "Thai Prodigy Reigns Supreme at Faldo Series Hua Hin". Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  6. ^ Herrington, Ryan (26 November 2021). "14-year-old makes cut in Asian Tour event". Golf Digest. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  7. ^ Robinson, Spencer (29 November 2021). "Amateur Ratchanon Proving a Cut Above the Rest". Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  8. ^ กอล์ฟไทยเก็บเพิ่มอีก 1 ทอง 1 เงิน ประเภททีมซีเกมส์ที่เวียดนาม [Thai golf adds one gold and one silver in SEA Games team events in Vietnam]. Manager Online (in Thai). 18 May 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  9. ^ Fleming, Ben (4 November 2023). "Report: 16-Year-Old Amateur Star To Follow In Steps Of Tiger Woods And Rose Zhang". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  10. ^ "PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers 2023". Asian Tour. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  11. ^ Jourdan, Cameron (3 February 2023). "As LIV golfers like Cameron Smith and Phil Mickelson miss cut, this 15-year-old is T-6 at PIF Saudi International chasing Abraham Ancer". Golfweek. USA Today. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  12. ^ "Thai Teams Strike SEA Games Gold". Asia-Pacific Golf Confederation. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  13. ^ "The Amateur Championship – 2023 Preview & Results". Golf Bible. 14 June 2023. Retrieved 1 July 2023.
  14. ^ "The Back Nine with Ratchanon 'TK' Chantananuwat". Asian Tour. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  15. ^ "PIF Saudi International 2024". Asian Tour. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  16. ^ a b "TK Chantananuwat". Stanford Cardinal. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  17. ^ Romine, Brentley (23 April 2026). "Stanford leads ACCs after dismissing former top-60 amateur". Golf Channel. Retrieved 23 May 2026.
  18. ^ "Ratchanon Chantananuwat". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Retrieved 11 April 2022.
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