Thai Golfer Sodphim Wins Historic Bronze at Asian Games
Thai golfer Sodphim Kaewkanjana clinched a historic bronze medal at the 20th Asian Games in Japan after a sudden-death playoff. He finished tied for second with a 15-under-par total before outdueling China's Ding Wenyi on the fifth extra hole. The victory marks Thailand's first ever Asian Games medal in men's golf.
Sodphim Kaewkanjana produced a brilliant final-round seven-under-par 63 to finish with a four-day total of 15-under-par 265, tying for second place with Ding Wenyi of China and Kazuki Higa of Japan. A playoff was needed to determine the silver medalist, which went to four extra holes before Higa made a birdie to claim silver. Sodphim and Ding Wenyi then continued to a fifth playoff hole, where Sodphim holed a birdie putt to edge out Ding and win the bronze medal—the first ever Asian Games medal for a Thai male golfer. The gold medal went to South Korea's Kim Ju-hyung, who shot an 18-under-par 262. Other Thai men finished with Phongphak Laopakdee tied for 19th at one-under-par 279 and Phumi Saksansin tied for 24th at one-over-par 281. In the men's team event, China took gold with a 28-under-par 532, South Korea silver at 26-under-par 534, Japan bronze at 23-under-par 537, while Thailand tied for fourth with Taiwan at 22-under-par 538. In the women's individual competition, Apichaya Yubol led the Thai squad with a six-under-par 274, tying for fifth with China's Liu Yan; Patcharajuta Kongkrapan finished tied for 15th at three-over-par 283 and Nattakrita Wongthaveelap tied for 23rd at twelve-over-par 292. The women's gold was won by India's Pranawi Charath at 15-under-par 265, silver by China's Yin Ru Ning at 14-under-par 266, and bronze by Singapore's Channol Tan, who also posted 14-under-par 266 but lost in a playoff. Thailand's women's team tied for fourth with Singapore at seven-under-par 553, while China captured gold at 22-under-par 538, India silver at 14-under-par 546, and Taiwan bronze at 10-under-par 550.
