Thailand’s top golfer Kiradech Aphibarnrat decided to bypass a week of practice on the course for a week of enlightenment at the temple in his bid to qualify for the US Open.
Kiradech joined the monks at Wat Veerachoti Thamaram close to Bangkok. He shaved his head, eyebrows, woke up at 4.30am, meditated, walked bare-footed for several kilometers to gather food, cleaned the temple grounds and ate just one meal a day.
The 24-year-old Kiradech is ranked 83 in the world and to make the US Open he needs to break into the top 60 by June 9.
“I feel like I’ve grown older in the past week and in some strange way, I feel I am able to think and do things better,” Kiradech said in a statement.
Kiradech will find out soon if his frugal week helped him as he plays in the European Tour’s PGA Championship at Wentworth in England which begins on Thursday. He will then take up an invitation from Jack Nicklaus to compete in the prestigious Memorial tournament in the United States.
Photos: Kiradech fanpage Facebook
