GOLF CAN BE THE LONELIEST SPORT

It is mentally draining, forcing players to be self-critical as many fight inner demons

- Kimberly Kwek

Making it to the PGA Tour was a lifelong goal accomplished for Kiradech Aphibarnrat, but his dream soon turned into a nightmare.

After establishing himself on the professional circuit with four wins on the DP World Tour, Kiradech was rewarded in 2018 as he became the first Thai to earn PGA Tour membership.

But the next five years in the United States revealed some harsh realities of professional golf, as Kiradech was faced with soul-crushing loneliness that nearly drove him to quit the sport.

He was the sole Thai player on the PGA Tour and while some of his counterparts were on the women's LPGA Tour, their schedules rarely aligned, leaving Kiradech with few friends.

It was still bearable at the start when he had a fellow Thai Prajak Khaoprathum on his bag, but things spiralled when his caddy returned home to look after his family.

"It became a habit that I wasn't speaking to anyone," said Kiradech, 34, who is competing in this week's Porsche Singapore Classic.

"I would go out, practise, play, then go back to a four-square room every week." To fill this void, he eventually traded his hotel room for a house on Airbnb, but he remained miserable.

He would fly halfway around the world to Thailand whenever he had the chance, but the feeling of loneliness always returned when he travelled back to America.