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Janewattananond hits his opening drive during the third round of the 149th Open Championship.

By Kent Gray
Former MENA Tour winner Jazz Janewattananond added another highlights reel worthy moment to his eye-catching week at the 149th Open Championship on Saturday and you can bet Stephen Deane was proudly watching back at home in Dubai.

Deane, Head of Dubai Golf’s Peter Cowen Academies across Emirates Golf Club, Dubai Creek and JGE, flew back into the UAE on Friday evening after spending the early part of this week as part of Janewattananond’s support team at Royal St George’s.

A third-round four-over-par 74 saw Janewattananond tumble 24 places down the leaderboard to a share of T64 on Saturday. But the Thai, who mixed six bogeys with two birdies on a tough day for scoring, still managed one of the shots of the third round. Check it out:

What’s even more impressive is that the 25-year-old Thai had the foresight to practice the shot.

Janewattananond is paired with American Cham Kim for the final round in the fifth twosome out at 8.40am (11.40am UAE time) on Sunday. He’ll need something special to top his best finish in a major – T-14 at the 2019 PGA Championship – but is at least guaranteed of his third best finish in one of golf’s four bigs; before Friday, a share of 51st at the 2020 Masters was the Bangkok pro’s only other made cut in a major.

Deane has been working with Janewattananond on the range in Dubai ever since an unlikely meeting at the inaugural Golf in Dubai Championship in December. Janewattananond was struggling for a caddie so Deane stepped in and the duo even managed to lead the event after the first round on the Fire course at Jumeirah Golf Estates.

A positive COVID-19 test forced Janewattananond out of January’s OMEGA Dubai Desert Classic before he went agonisingly close to his maiden European Tour win at the Kenya Savannah Classic in March where he lost in a playoff to Daniel van Tonder.

“He’s very, very close,” Deane told The National’s Mohamed Suleman. “I think there is chance for him to get a win by the end of this season and he’s heading to the Olympics as well, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see him pick up a medal there for Thailand.”

Janewattananond sprung to UAE consciousness when he captured the MENA Tour’s Mahasamutr Masters in a playoff in May 2017.

UPDATE – July 19:  Janewattananond signed for a closing three-under-par 67 on Sunday to finish in a tie for 46th. He finished on even par for the championship, 15 strokes behind champion Collin Morikawa.