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Prayad finishes third in Bridgestone Open

Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng enjoyed a tied third finish on the Japan Golf Tour on Sunday, his second straight week that he has posted a strong week.

The smooth swinging Prayad carded rounds of 67, 69, 69 and 68 for a 273 total at the Bridgestone Open and finished seven shots behind runaway winner Tachi Teshima. Prayad put in a tied fourth finish at the Volkswagen Masters-China in the previous week.

Korean Yang Yong-eun settled for tied 16th place after rounds of 74, 67, 70 and 67 for a 278 total.

On the European Tour, India's Jeev Milkha Singh, currently leading the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit, finished a creditable joint 13th in the Mallorca Classic in Spain.

Singh shot rounds of 71, 7, 69 and 68 for a 283 total, eight behind winner Niclas Fasth. The Indian star will feature in this week's season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama, exclusive to the top-60 players on the European Order of Merit, along with Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.

Australian David Bransdon made a late push to secure his card for 2007 but a tied 45th finish in Spain means he will have to return to Qualifying School as he finished in 124th place on the money ranking.

The top-118 players secure playing rights for the 2007 and this includes Asian Tour's Shiv Kapur of India, who finished 116th on the list.

On the US PGA Tour, India's Arjun Atwal will have one last shot at keeping his card for 2007 after he finished tied 51st at the Funai Classic. Atwal was pushing for a top-10 finish but a final round 75 saw him slip to tied 51st place from his overnight 14th position.

Korea's Choi Kyung-ju came in tied 21st with rounds of 68, 68, 67 and 70 in the event won by American Joe Durant on 263.

Atwal is presently ranked 137th and needs to be inside the top-125 where he is approximately US$100,000 behind Bubba Dickerson who sits on the bubble with the Chrysler Championship remaining this week.

On the Nationwide Tour, Asian Tour member Jarrod Lyle brightened his chances of a promotion onto the US PGA Tour with a guaranteed third place finish at the PalmettoPride Classic, which has spilled over to a Monday finish.

Lyle carded a closing 71 for a 278 total, two shots behind clubhouse leader Ken Duke. The event will finish on Monday as another Australian Michael Sim is tied for the lead at 12-under with two holes remaining. Lyle is presently ranked 19th on the Nationwide money list and needs to be inside the top-20 by the end of the season to earn promotion onto the main tour.

Korea's Charlie Wi carded a closing 71 for tied 30th place. He is ranked 35th on the money list.

October 23, 2006