Dennis Grall photo Amy Ruengmateekhun stands by the Sweetgrass logo at Island Resort and Casino Monday. She will be making her third appearance in the Island Resort Championship at Sweetgrass this weekend as she continues on a journey to battle a long-standing weight condition while playing on the Symetra Tour.

By Dennis Grall

For the Daily Press

HARRIS — It would be easy to understand why Amy Ruengmateekhun could become a fan favorite when the Symetra Tour returns to Sweetgrass Golf Club this weekend.

The Dallas native and daughter of parents from Thailand, Ruengmateekhun (roong-may-TEE-koon) is trying to find her groove on the women’s golf tour while battling a long weight-related issue.

Traveling the country, many times at challenging hours, eating a wide variety of meals and not getting proper exercise or rest are not conducive to maintaining weight or a good golf swing. Put all of that together, with a love of food, and the former Oklahoma State University golfer has been on a roller coaster weight ride most of her life.

“I would lose 20-30 pounds and then gain it all back,” she said of her fluctuating weight battle that began in seventh grade. “I can eat anything. That probably didn’t help.”

Ruengmateekhun, during an interview Monday at Island Resort and Casino, recalled losing 50 pounds from November 2015 to March 2016, and overall dropping 85 pounds. “But I would gain 10-15 pounds on the road,” she said of playing golf.

She finally enlisted the aid of a weight trainer, Jeff Hoke, whose wife Shelly is a nutrionist. With their help and the discipline of a strong diet-exercise program, Ruengmateekhun has gradually shed weight that has also helped her golf career start to blossom.

“I’ve always been a food lover. Whatever is on my plate, I eat it all,” she said, indicating she is striving to change that process by taking and eating smaller portions.

Having a family that operates a Thai restaurant in Dallas has only added to the difficulty of watching her weight. She loves Thai and Korean barbecue to go with chicken and pork. Beef, and especially fish, are not part of her normal menu.

During her weight loss periods, she would work out six days a week in the offseason, mixing cardiovascular exercises and weight lifting, balance drills, stretching and flexibility workouts.

But the delicate balance of trying to stay in shape and following the demands of playing golf always threatened to interfere. There are times she will spend 17-20 hours driving to different tournament sites, which means fast-food stops are part of the trip.

“I love salad and chicken. I love my protein and I can give up carbs for a good time,” said Ruengmateekhun, who also played basketball, volleyball and soccer as a youngster. Her father, Wuttichai, played on Thailand’s national basketball team before moving to Dallas.

She has dropped 14 pounds this year and has reduced her clothing size from 22 to 14. She provided cell phone pictures of herself at various stages and said “the differences are a huge motivation for me.”

She dropped below 200 pounds last year, for the first time since seventh grade, which was a huge jolt of confidence to her efforts. “You can do this,” she recalls thinking. “That is super motivating. That was the best feeling. I got a little teary. I was so proud I called my parents.

“It is very hard to lose it and stick with it. I will feel weak at times but I stuck with it. It is something I want to do. Now I know I can accomplish something.”

She has also adopted a new philosophy that has been beneficial to her quest. “It is not the end of the world if you don’t finish (eating). There will be other meals,” she said, adding the challenge is complicated because “I love food and I love to try new things.”

Ruengmateekhun has been very out-going about her constant struggle, and has received strong support from friends and fellow golfers. She also realizes her battle can help inspire other people fighting their own problems. “A lot of people battle obstacles in their life and maybe I could help make a difference,” she said.

“I’m proud of what I’m doing and knowing people are going through similar things,” she said, indicating nutrition has been “a huge key” to getting good results.

“Once I figured out this is what I really wanted to do, I wanted a good support team. This gave me a good system, a good plan,” she said.

Losing weight is also helping improve her golf game, particularly because she has also reduced a problem with bunions that likely occurred due to her weight issue. Although she missed the cut at last week’s stop in Decatur, Ill., Ruengmateekhun is convinced improvement is coming while setting a goal of losing another 20-30 pounds.

“I have an inside-out swing and there is much more room (to swing) now,” she said, indicating she can drop her hands more in the swing. “My irons are a lot more consistent,” she said, indicating her 7-iron has gone from 145 yards to 155-160 yards.

“I’ve always been a long hitter so I haven’t gained much distance with my driver,” she said. “I have very strong legs (she says from carrying that extra weight) and a lot of power. I’m trying to use my lower body and my hips.”

The weight loss has also been helpful walking the course. “I am one of the fastest walkers now. My energy level when I start and end is the same. I can’t imagine how much better it will be if I can lose another 10-20 pounds,” she said.

“My goal is to enjoy life and play golf. I don’t need to put extra pressure on myself. This is my job and I love it. I need to start giving back to the sport I love.”