Thai star Jazz virtually “digging the dirt” while trying to get back on track in 2022

 Thai star Jazz virtually “digging the dirt” while trying to get back on track in 2022

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond has revealed he was practically “digging the dirt” when practising so much in order to find his form before a brilliant victory at the International Series Morocco last year.

Jazz had not won in nearly three years before his success in North Africa, a result he will try and repeat at this week’s International Series Qatar, here at Doha Golf Club.

“It was three years of playing bad golf and suddenly it just comes. Hopefully it continues a bit longer,” said the winner of 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit, the season he won on four occasions.

“I was searching, went searching, hours and hours on the range, digging the dirt, sometimes I found it, sometimes it wasn’t there.”

The victory in Morocco was the result of a sensational eagle, birdie finish – an incredible performance for a player who was shattered after an exhausting season up until that point.

He added: “Seriously like in Morocco I was such a blur, I still don’t know what happened. And I walked home with a trophy so that was pretty lucky.”

It was the seventh Asian Tour victory of his career, and in terms of confidence building it was arguably his most important.

“That was my first time in Morocco and the city of Rabat was amazing – the culture, the food, the people, everything. I had heard a lot about the golf course already from people I played with, and I knew it was going to be hard, but it exceeded all my expectations. I had been out nine weeks in a row and I was tired and my back was hurting, but I went in with an open mind to explore Morocco and Rabat, and I think that helped me win, because I didn’t come in with high expectations.”

Having tied for 17th in last week’s International Series Oman and survived the cut in the season-opening PIF Saudi International powered by SoftBank Investment Advisers he feels his game is in a good position for this week, on a golf course he knows well, where the wind plays a major factor.

“It is my fourth time here in Qatar and third time on this golf course. So I know the golf course quite well,” said Jazz.

“I couldn’t reach the fairway on 18 today because of the wind. That was a little embarrassing.”

Despite that the signs are there that the gifted 27 year old is getting closer and closer to his best golf, justifying the exceptional amount of time he has spent on the range.

Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand pictured with the winner’s trophy on Sunday, November 6, 2022 after his victory in the International Series Morocco at Royal Golf Dar Es Salam. The US$ 1.5 million Asian Tour event is staged from November 3-6, 2022. Picture by Paul Lakatos/Asian Tour.