Gunn Charoenkul

JOINED TOUR

• PGA TOUR China: 2014
• Korn Ferry Tour: 2015

PGA Tour China Series Victories (2)

• 2014 Yunnan Open
• 2016 Chongqing Newtown King Run Open

International Victories (5)

• 2012 Singha Esan Open [Asean]
• 2014 Singha Esan Open [Asean]
• 2014 PGA Melaka Championship [Asean]
• 2014 Singha Panasonic Hua Hin Open [Asean]
• 2016 Jimei Korea Kulim Championship [Asean]

Additional Victories (2)

• 2014 Yunnan Open
• 2016 Chongqing Newtown King Run Open

Personal

• Enjoys football and fishing. Got his start in the game when his father bought him plastic golf clubs when he turned 5.
• His wife, Vichuda, often caddies for him and serves as his business manager. She knew nothing about golf when the couple started dating.

Special Interests

Career Highlights

2019 Season

• ANA Open: Earned his fourth consecutive top-10, with a T6 in Sapporo. Enjoyed middle rounds of 67-66 that led to a 14=under 272 total, leaving him tied with China’s Wenchong Liang and Japan’s Ryo Ishikawa at Sapporo GC’s Wattsu Course, two shots out of the five-man playoff featuring Yosuke Asaji, Shaun Norris, Terumichi Kakazu, Seungsu Han and Ryuko Tokimatsu that Asaji won.
• Fujisankei Classic: A quick start at Fujizakura CC in early September led to his T6 with Shugo Imahira. It was his third consecutive top-10. Following his 68-66 start, cooled a bit on the weekend, shooting a 1-under 70 followed by a 2-over 73.
• RIZAP KBC Augusta: Played solid golf all week at Keya GC, opening with a 68-65 first 36 holes. Held a share of fifth place going into the weekend. Responded with a 3-under 69 in the third round and then moved into his final position of T4 with a Sunday 67, leaving him tied with Ryuko Tokimatsu.
• Shigeo Nagashima Invitational Sega Sammy Cup: Got off to a slow start at The North Country CC, shooting a 1-over 73. Was under-par the rest of the way, with a pair of 67s and a final-round 70 to T10 with Ryutaor Nagano, Bio Kim, Tatsuya Kodai and Tomoharu Otsuki.
• The Open Championship: Playing in his first major championship, missed the cut at Royal Portrush GC in Northern Ireland, shooting rounds of 72-76 in July.
• Huangshan Championship: At the 54-hole Huangshan Championship, fired rounds of 69-74-67 to T7 along with American Joey Lane.
• Suzhou Open: Two weeks after qualifying for a spot for the 2019 Open Championship, Charoenkul finished T8 in Suzhou after carding rounds of 69-72-68-66.
• JGTC Mori Building Cup Shishido Hills [JGT]: Added another top-10 in early June, finishing T8 at Shishido Hills CC. At the 54-hole juncture, was alone in second, three shots behind third-round leader Mikumi Horikawa. Opened the tournament 70-65-69 but stumbled to a 3-over 74 to T8 with Koumei Oda.
• Gate Way To The Open Mizuno Open [JGT]: Finished birdie-par-par on the Japan Golf Tour, unable to put any pressure on winner Yuta Ikeda. The finish at The Royal GC, however, that led to a Sunday 68 left him T3 with South Korea’s Sanghyun Park, and that was enough to earn him an invitation to The Open Championship in July.
• Kansai Open Golf Championship [JGT]: Played on the Japan Golf Tour in late-May and turned in a stellar weekend, shooting rounds of 66-68 to go with his 4-under start to finish solo sixth at Koma CC. Finished solo sixth, five shots shy of winner Tomoharu Otsuki.
• Beijing Championship: Continued his good form to finish solo sixth in Beijing. Rounds of 66-72-68-68 earned him his third top-10 in the season’s first four events.
• Haikou Championship: One week after the tragic death of his friend Arie Irawan, shot rounds of 67-74-74-69 to finish T10 at 4-under in Haikou.
• Sanya Championship: Finished T9 at the 54-hole event in Sanya after rounds of 67-71-66. The next morning, along with his wife, Vichuda, was one of the first on the scene to try and help good friend Arie Irawan, who later passed away.
• SMBC Singapore Open: Played solid golf all week at Sentosa GC’s Serapong Course. Opened with a 3-under 68. Entered the weekend five shots off Yoshinori Fujimoto’s lead. With a third-round 67, actually fell six strokes behind Fujimoto’s lead. Finished with a 1-under 70 to T7 with Sergio Garcia, 10 shots behind come-from-behind winner Jazz Janewattananond.

2016 Season

Completed the season seventh on the final Order of Merit despite only playing in eight tournaments. Picked up his second career victory and added two other top-10s, including a runner-up finish.

• Nanjing Open: Had a strong chance at winning again, in Nanjing. Began the final round tied for third, two shots behind 54-hole leader Yi Keun Chang. Took the lead Sunday after a 4-under front nine. Added two birdies on Nos. 11 and 12 before a 16th-hole bogey dropped him into a tie with China's Zecheng Dou. After the pair parred the 17th hole, he three-putted from 40 feet for bogey while Dou got up and down for par and the win. It was his best Series' finish since his 2014 victory at the Yulongwan Yunnan Open.
• Jimei Korea Kulim Championship: In July, shot rounds of 66-69-70-63 to cruise to a four-shot victory on the Asean Tour. Defeated countryman Poom Saksansin and Malaysia's Ben Leong at Kulim Golf & Country Resort. Moved to a U.S. $11,000 lead on the Order of Merit over Saksansin.
• Zhuhai Hengqing Phoenix Tree Open: T32 at the Zhuhai Hengqin Phoenix Tree Open.
• Buick Open: Came back strong at the season-ending Buick Open, contending all week in Guangzhou. Opened 71-69 at Foison GC to push himself into a four-way tie for second through 36 holes. Could only muster a 74-75 on the weekend during cold, windy and rainy conditions to T6. The top-20 Order of Merit finish earned him membership should he choose in 2017 on PGA TOUR China, the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamerica.
• Singha Hua Hin Open: In May, playing on the AseanTour, finished alone in seventh at Royal Hua Hin GC. Opened with a 4-over 75 then bounced back with scores of 68-67-67 to earn the top-10.
• Chongqing Newtown King Run Open: Earned his second career PGA TOUR China title and fifth career professional win with a standout performance at the Chongqing Jiangnan NewTown KingRun Open. Never lost control of the lead at the end of any round, taking the outright 18- and 36-hole leads after opening 65-68 at KingRun Nanshan Golf Club. Fired a third-round 68 and entered the final round tied with Benjamin Lein, at 15-under. Took control of the tournament Sunday with a 4-under 32 on the front nine that included two birdies and a chip-in eagle (No. 4). Coasted from there, eventually settling on a six-shot triumph over Zihao Chen, Mathew Perry and Shun Yat Hak. Moved to No. 2 on the Order of Merit and reached a career-high position (No. 325) in the Official World Golf Ranking.
• Queen's Cup: During his off week in June, traveled to his homeland of Thailand and made a serious run at victory at the Asian Tour's Queen's Cup at Santiburi Samui CC. Joined Australian Scott Hend as the only two players in the field to shoot four rounds in the 60s. Entered the final round two shots behind Hend after opening 67-69-68 in Koh Samui. On the final day, made four front-nine birdies without a bogey. Played error-free on his back nine but could only muster one birdie–on the 18th hole, leaving him alone in second place, a shot behind Hend. The finish was his career-best Asian Tour performance (bettering a sixth-place effort at the 2013 Solaire Open) and his first top-10 on the circuit since a T10 at the 2014 CIMB Niaga Indonesian Masters.

2015 Season

Finished 16th on the Order of Merit, with two top-10s in seven tournament appearances.

• Yulongwan Yunnan Open: In defense of his 2014 title, in early October, held the 36-hole lead after a 64-65 start at Yulongwan GC. Fired a third-round 67 to fall a stroke behind Geary with a round to play. The two played in the final group, and from the seventh hole on and tied for the lead they matched scores hole for hole all the way through the 15th hole. At the pivotal 16th, he birdied and then watched as Geary eagled. After both players had bogey-par finishes, he fell a stroke short of winning for a second successive year. In his eight rounds at the course, has a stroke average of 66.25. Made 29 birdies to lead the field and has totaled 56 over the last two tournaments.
• Buick Open: In his first Tour appearance since winning the 2014 Yulongwan Yunnan Open, was again in contention at the season-opening Buick Open. After starting with a 2-over 74 at Mission Hills GC's Sandbelt Trails, recovered with a 3-under 69 in the second round. Fired rounds of 69-71 on the weekend to finish solo third, three shots behind winner Josh Geary.

2014 Season

• Singha Panasonic Hua Hin Open: Picked up his third AseanTour title of the season in mid-July when he defeated Chapchai Nirat by a stroke. Enjoyed a wire-to-wire win at Royal Hua Hin GC, shooting rounds of 68-67-70-68 on the par-72 layout.
• PGA Melaka Championship: Won for the second time during the season when he captured the Asean Tour tournament. At Ayer Keroh CC, took a wire-to-wire victory, opening with a 5-under 67 then following with a 74-70-70 finish to outdistance Malaysia's Iylia Jamil by three strokes.
• Singha Pattaya Open: Had an impressive showing on the Asean Tour in mid-April. Opened with a 70-69 at Burapha GC then reeled off back-to-back 67s on the weekend to T5 with Narinrit Tantrakul and Prom Meesawat.
• Beijing Open: Played in his first PGA TOUR China Series tournament, making the cut at the Earls Beijing Open. Eventually finished T15 at Earls Beijing GC, with Brett Drewitt, Arnond Vongvanij and Aaron Townsend. Ended his week with a flourish, making eagle on the par-5 18th hole.
• Yulongwan Yunnan Open: Put the field on notice when he set a PGA TOUR China Series 18-hole record with an opening-round, 11-under 61 at the Yulongwan Yunnan Open in August. Trailed Xinjun Zhang by a shot at the 36-hole mark after firing a 2-under 70. Took control in the third round with a 6-under 66 then captured his first PGA TOUR China Series' title with a second consecutive 66 to defeat Zhang by three strokes. His 25-under 263 total also set a 72-hole record.
• Singha Esan Open: Won for the second time on the Asean Tour, capturing this event for a second time in three years. Shot rounds of 68-71-69-66 to pull away from Grant Jackson and Teerawat Poipong at Singha Park GC in March.
• China QT CTS Tycoon Shenzhen: Qualified for the PGA TOUR China Series in mid-March by finishing T8 at the qualifying tournament in Shenzhen. Opened with a 69 at Shenzhen Guangzhou CTS Tycoon GC.

2013 Season

• Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open: A final-round 68 at the Asia-Pacific Panasonic Open gave him his first Japan Golf Tour top-10, a T10 at Ibaraki CC's West Course, eight strokes behind winner Masahiro Kawamura.

2012 Season

Finished second on the Asean Tour Order of Merit.

• Palembang Musi Championship: After defeating Nicholas Fung in a playoff at the Singha Esan Open, saw Fung getthe better of him later in the season. Held the first-round lead after opening with a 65. Followed with rounds of 70-67-70 but fell by two strokes to Fung.
• Singha Esan Open: His first professional victory was the season highlight. Finished regulation tied with Nicholas Fung and then defeated Fung in a playoff.