Motivated Gunn targets JGTO breakthrough

Thailand's Gunn Charoenkul will have plenty of motivation heading into tomorrow's final round of the Golf Partner Pro-Am Tournament, where he stands a chance of securing his JGTO breakthrough.

The 30-year-old is determined to win it for both his wife Koyy and two-year-old daughter Vera, who will be rooting for him from outside the ropes at the Toride Kokusai Golf Club.

On Saturday, Gunn continued to impress when he fired a third successive five-under-par 65 to put himself on the fringe of contention with his three-day total of 15-under-par 195 — just four shots behind leader Tomoharu Otsuki.

"It's been a while since I have been in contention. I'm very excited about what tomorrow's going to bring," said Gunn, who represented Thailand at the Tokyo Olympics last year.

"The last few events, I just wanted to enjoy myself. My wife and daughter are here with me, and I want my daughter to see me enjoying my career.

"My goal now is to have fun out there and let her see me enjoying playing golf."

If there's one hole Gunn would pay extra attention to, it is the par-four 15th.

Despite not running short of birdies, Gunn was left rueing the sole bogey on that hole, or otherwise, it would have been a faultless day.

"It's a tough hole. I wouldn't mind getting a bogey on that hole, so I'll be very content with a par on that hole," he explained.

"Whatever I laid up, it would end up in the rough, I hit it over the green, and I didn't have a good lie. It was a tough up and down. My chip landed where I wanted it to land, but the ball didn't react how I wanted it to. It was a pretty tough putt for par."

A good finish tomorrow would hand Gunn a massive boost in his bid to win back the JGTO full card he lost in the 2020-21 season. 

It is surely more rewarding if he wins as a victory would secure him a swift two-year exemption.

Gunn made his full-season debut in 2019, finishing 11 times in the top-10 to end up 21st in the Order of Merit that season. But his momentum was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic and he could not replicate the same kind of form in the following combined season.

"I haven't kept my full JGTO card. Right now, I really want to play well here to secure my card here first. That's my ultimate goal," he said.

Gunn has also given this week's unique pro-am format a thumbs up.

"It's been awesome so far, we don't get many chances to play with the amateurs, and it's been pretty fun so far the last three days," he said.

" It's very relaxing, playing with the amateurs. I got to know some new people as well."