July 31: Thai star Kiradech Aphibarnrat speaks plainly these days when it comes to his goals in golf and it was no different ahead of this week’s World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational.

“I want to get the job done and take away the trophy,” said the 29-year old.

Kiradech has plenty of reason to be super confident. This year, his career has continued to trend nicely with a couple of impressive top-five finishes at the WGC-Mexico Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. Two other top-15s at the Memorial Tournament and U.S. Open have also helped the big-hitting Kiradech become the first Thai golfer to secure his PGA TOUR card for the 2018-19 season.

Throw in his triumph in Australia at a tri-sanctioned tournament by the Asian, European and Australian Tours in February, Kiradech certainly has reason to feel like he’s on top of the world but he knows only a win at the iconic Firestone Country Club this week can put the exclamation mark to his impressive 2018 campaign.

“When I go to tournaments, it’s about myself now, how I perform and try to play my best,” said Kiradech. “The first two times that I played at Firestone, I was not consistent with my ball control but now, I can move the ball around and can go for certain shots. It should be a better week.”

In two previous appearances, Kiradech, a former world junior amateur champion, finished T40 and 53rd in 2013 and 2016 respectively and broke par only twice in eight rounds. He remembers Firestone as a course which rewards straight-shooting and for its smallish greens.

“It’s a long and narrow golf course, a bit old-styled with mature trees lining the fairways. If you strike it well and hit lots of fairways, then you can have chances to make birdies,” said Kiradech, who is now ranked 31st in the world.

His only concern ahead of this week’s showpiece which will parade 29 of the top-30 players from the FedExCup standings is fatigue. Kiradech has played in eight tournaments over a span of nine weeks culminating with The Open Championship two weeks ago.

When he arrived home in Bangkok, he did not bother to unpack his golf clubs and hung out with friends and family.

“My game did not feel good (at The Open). I was a bit tired as I’ve been playing a lot of tournaments and it affected my game. I couldn’t keep my ball under the wind,” said Kiradech, who finished T75 at the year’s third major.

“I had several good days being at home. I was away for several months and have probably hit a million golf balls during that time, so I wasn’t going to unpack my golf clubs at all.”

The former Asian Tour No. 1 is keen to succeed Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama as champion of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational but knows he must keep to the old cliché of taking it one shot at a time.

“I’ve been hitting it good this year and the key is always to stay patient and to stick to the game plan. The good thing is I’m enjoying my golf. It’ll be a good week to play well,” said Kiradech.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson, 14-time major winner Tiger Woods, reigning FedExCup winner Justin Thomas, newly crowned Open winner Francesco Molinari and Matsuyama are amongst the stars assembled at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational which starts on Thursday.

ABOUT THE WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-BRIDGESTONE INVITATIONAL

The Bridgestone Invitational is one of four World Golf Championships and annually attracts the world’s best golfers from across the globe including those from the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA TOUR, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour. The other World Golf Championships include the Dell Technologies Match Play (Austin, Texas), Mexico Championship (Mexico City, Mexico) and the HSBC Champions (Shanghai, China). The Bridgestone Invitational annually donates approximately $1 million to charities throughout Northeast Ohio. Over the years, professional golf at Firestone Country Club has donated more than $26 million to worthy causes in Northeast Ohio, including the event’s signature charities Akron Children’s Hospital and University Hospitals Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital. Since the inception of the World Golf Championships in 1999, the series has raised over $50 million for deserving charities.

ABOUT BRIDGESTONE

Bridgestone Corporation, headquartered in Tokyo, is the world’s largest tire and rubber company. In addition to tires for use in a wide variety of applications, it also manufactures a broad range of diversified products, which include industrial rubber and chemical products and sporting goods. Its products are sold in over 150 nations and territories around the world.

ABOUT BRIDGESTONE AMERICAS, INC.

Nashville, Tenn.-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. (BSAM) is the U.S. subsidiary of Bridgestone Corporation, the world’s largest tire and rubber company. BSAM and its subsidiaries develop, manufacture and market a wide range of Bridgestone, Firestone and associate brand tires to address the needs of a broad range of customers, including consumers, automotive and commercial vehicle original equipment manufacturers, and those in the agricultural, forestry and mining industries. The companies are also engaged in retreading operations throughout the Western Hemisphere and produce air springs, roofing materials, and industrial fibers and textiles. The BSAM family of companies also operates the world’s largest chain of automotive tire and service centers. Guided by its One Team, One Planet message, the company is dedicated to achieving a positive environmental impact in all of the communities it calls home.