A star is born: 10 things you need to know about Jazz Janewattananond

Very often in golf, a hero will emerge. He rises from near oblivion to become the next great hope in the sport with his name moving beyond just a byword to a feature in the headlines.

But before enjoying their sweet taste of success, it is always a crazy and insecure journey to finding where their unsure talent would eventually take them.

Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond is one of them. But after his exploits at the recent PGA Championship, the young Thai is now finding himself basking in the limelight.

Here are 10 things you should know about the three-time Asian Tour winner, who has been orchestrating all the right moves lately.

1. Jazz is currently in second place on the Habitat for Humanity Standings, his previous highest Order of Merit ranking was ninth position (2017, 2018).
2. He is coached by Pete Cowen who also works with Thailand’s number one player, Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
3. His real name is Atiwit but he switched to his nickname Jazz which was given by his father, a judge, due to the latter’s musical preference. His last name is pronounced “JANE-wat-tan-NA-non”.
4. Jazz is one of two siblings. His younger sister, Jiratcha Janewattananond is currently in Medical School in Thailand.
5. Jazz first played his way into the history books of the Asian Tour in 2010 when he became the youngest ever player, at the age of 14 years and 71 days, to make the halfway cut at the 2010 Asian Tour International in Bangkok.
6. Jazz played for the Thai National Team for two years when he was just 12 years old.
7. He found inner peace after a two-week stint as a monk in Thailand in 2016. Jazz credited the time spent in the temple for playing a pivotal role in his Asian Tour breakthrough at the Bashundhara Bangladesh Open in 2017.
8. The Thai broke into the world’s top-100 for the first time in his career after claiming his third Asian Tour title at the season-opening Singapore Open. That victory earned him a coveted spot in The Open, where he made his Major debut last year.
9. He made his second Major appearance at the PGA Championship where he enjoyed the best result by a Thai player at that Major with his tied-14^th result. The record was previously held by countryman Prayad Marksaeng who took a tied-15^th result in 2008.
10. Jazz is currently ranked first in Relation-To-Par statistics on Tour at 75-under after 25 counted rounds.