Introduction
Boonchu Ruangkit (born 12 May 1956) is a Thai professional golfer who plays on the Champions Tour.
As a young man, Boonchu tried for a career in kick boxing, but he gave it up after being knocked out cold in his third bout. He made his mark in golf when he won the 1985 Australian Amateur and he turned professional the following year. He has won five titles on the Asian Tour since its first modern season in 1995, and has several other victories to his name. He was the runner-up on the Asian Tour Order of Merit in 1995 and also made the top ten in 1998 and 2004. In the latter year he won the Thailand Open for the second time in his career at the age of 47.
In 2006, Boonchu turned 50 and became eligible to play in senior tournaments. He finished first in the 2006 Champions Tour Qualifying School and joined the Champions Tour in 2007. In 2010, he joined the European Senior Tour and won four events (including three straight) and the Order of Merit.
Amateur wins (2)
- 1985 Australian Amateur, Putra Cup (individual and team)
Professional wins (19)
Asian Tour wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 Oct 1995 | Langkawi Open | −15 (67-71-67-68=273) | 7 strokes | Jamnian Chitprasong |
| 2 | 7 Jan 1996 (1995 season) |
Myanmar Open | +5 (68-72-76-77=293) | Playoff | Jeff Senior |
| 3 | 29 Sep 1996 | Lexus International | −12 (75-69-67-65=276) | Playoff | Mike Cunning |
| 4 | 6 Apr 1997 | London Myanmar Open | −15 (72-65-68-68=273) | Playoff | John Senden |
| 5 | 25 Jan 2004 | Thailand Open | −18 (68-66-69-67=270) | 5 strokes | Kim Jong-duck, Prayad Marksaeng |
Asian Tour playoff record (3–1)
| No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent(s) | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1996 | Myanmar Open | Jeff Senior | Won with par on first extra hole |
| 2 | 1996 | Lexus International | Mike Cunning | Won on first extra hole |
| 3 | 1997 | London Myanmar Open | John Senden | Won on first extra hole |
| 4 | 2009 | Brunei Open | Darren Beck, Gaganjeet Bhullar | Beck won with birdie on third extra hole Ruangkit eliminated by par on second hole |
All Thailand Golf Tour wins (6)
- 2000 TPC Championships
- 2002 TPC Championships
- 2003 Singha Classic
- 2004 Chevrolet Championship
- 2006 Singha Masters, Singha E-San Open
Asia Golf Circuit wins (2)
- 1992 Thailand Open
- 1998 Mercuries Masters (Taiwan)
European Senior Tour wins (5)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of victory |
Runner(s)-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 7 Mar 2010 | Aberdeen Brunei Senior Masters | −14 (64-69-66=199) | Playoff | Frankie Miñoza |
| 2 | 14 Mar 2010 | Chang Thailand Senior Masters | −21 (64-66-65=195) | 11 strokes | Jamnian Chitprasong, Frankie Miñoza, Katsuyoshi Tomori |
| 3 | 28 Mar 2010 | Berenberg Bank Masters | −3 (69-78-69=216) | 3 strokes | Bobby Lincoln, Sam Torrance |
| 4 | 17 Oct 2010 | Benahavis Senior Masters | −16 (68-65-64=197) | 7 strokes | John Gould, Carl Mason |
| 5 | 4 Sep 2011 | Travis Perkins plc Senior Masters | −9 (68-68-71=207) | 4 strokes | Gordon Brand Jnr, Roger Chapman, Barry Lane |
Japan PGA Senior Tour wins (1)
- 2013 ISPS Handa Cup - Satsukibare Senior Masters
Team appearances
Amateur
- Eisenhower Trophy (representing Thailand): 1984
Professional
- Dunhill Cup (representing Thailand): 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992
- World Cup (representing Thailand): 1988, 1989, 1994
- Dynasty Cup (representing Asia): 2005 (winners)