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Thongchai posts Amex top 10 for WGC career best

Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee capped a career high at the WGC-American Express Championship with a superb tied ninth finish on Sunday.

The two-time Asian Tour number one signed off with a spectacular six-under-par 65 at The Grove in Hertfordshire, England to register his first top-10 finish in a World Golf Championships event.

Thongchai ended the week with a 10-under-par 274 aggregate, and had the honour of shooting the day's second best score under adverse weather conditions. World number one Tiger Woods claimed the title by a convincing eight shots on 261.

India's Jyoti Randhawa made it a memorable week for the Asian Tour contingent in the US$7.5 million event with a tied 17th finish after closing with a 69. Last season's number one Thaworn Wiratchant finished 54th while Choi Kyung-ju of Korea and England's Simon Dyson were 32nd and 38th respectively in the elite field.

Thongchai, whose previous best finish in a WGC event was tied 32nd at the 2004 NEC Invitational, has endured a quiet spell of late but rounds of 71, 67, 71 and 65 would have put a smile back on his face. His sterling effort was worth US$150,000 and pushed him up to 37th place on the European Tour Order of Merit.

The former paratrooper shot five birdies on the card on a weather-disrupted final round and closed out his round in style by splashing out from a bunker for an eagle at the closing par five.

Randhawa posted three birdies and his week's effort was worth US$85,000, which pushed him to 70th place on the European ranking. He will be eyeing for a place in the top-60 to qualify for the season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain.

On the US PGA Tour, former Asian regular Ted Purdy produced a tied fifth finish at the Southern Farm Bureau Classic with rounds of 68, 70, 72 and 68. He finished three shots behind winner D.J. Trahan, who triumphed in a play-off against Joe Durant.

Sweden's Daniel Chopra, who was tied third overnight, slipped to equal 16th place after closing with a 74 while India's Arjun Atwal, battling to keep his US PGA Tour card for 2007, endured a roller-coaster week with rounds of 69, 76, 68 and 76 for tied 67th place.

On the Japan Golf Tour, India's Jeev Milkha Singh, the Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit leader, enjoyed his ninth top-10 in Japan with a joint third finish at the Coca-Cola Tokai Classic.

Singh, winner of the Volvo China Open in April, shot rounds of 68, 72, 75 and 70 for a 286 total. Hidemasa Hoshino won the event on 282 after closing with a 67.

Thailand's Thammanoon Srirot was tied 16th after rounds of 70, 78, 71 and 71 while Korea's Hur Suk-ho was a stroke back in 27th position.

October 2, 2006