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Prayad secures top 3 finish in Japan

Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng registered his fourth successive top-10 on the Japan Golf Tour with a third place finish at the Acom International on Sunday.

The Asian Tour stalwart fired rounds of 67, 67, 70 and 67 and finished just one shot behind the play-off duo of Mamoru Osanai, who won the title after pipping Taichi Techima.

So far this season, Prayad has registered a total of five top-10s in Japan while on the Asian Tour, he is presently ranked 10th on the UBS Order of Merit.

Korea's Hur Suk-ho and India's Jeev Milkha Singh also enjoyed top-10 finishes at the weekend. Hur, known better as S.K. Ho, carded rounds of 67, 72, 68 and 69 while Singh, the current UBS Order of Merit leader, shot rounds of 72, 68, 67 and 69 for what is his eighth top-10 of the year in Japan.

China's Liang Wen-chong finished tied 11th with rounds of 71, 66, 72 and 68.

On the US PGA Tour, India's Arjun Atwal, desperately battling to keep his card, posted a tied 21st finish at the Texas Open, shooting rounds of 71, 70, 67 and 68. Atwal moved up to 140th on the US money list and needs to be inside the top-125 to retain his full playing rights in 2007.

American Ted Purdy, a former winner in Asia, was in contention in tied second place after the third round but stumbled with a closing 78 to finish alongside Atwal.

Japan's Daisuke Maruyama, winner of the ROC PGA Championship in 2001, was tied 12th as he continued to impress in his rookie year in America. He put together rounds of 72, 69, 66 and 66 to finish on 273, eight shots behind winner Eric Axley.

On the Nationwide Tour, Australian Jarrod Lyle brightened his chances of gaining promotion onto the PGA Tour with a tied eighth finish at the Oregon Classic.

Lyle, who entered the week in 21st place on the money list, shot rounds of 69, 70, 70 and 69 for a 278 total. He moved into 18th place on the latest ranking.

Compatriot Andrew Buckle, presently fourth on the UBS Order of Merit, kept up his hopes as well with a joint 27th outing from rounds of 69, 70, 77 and 66. Buckle maintained his 17th place on the money list, with the top-20 at the end of the season earning their PGA Tour cards.

September 25, 2006