ASEAN Golf Tour International Championship: Danny Chia claims inaugural ASEAN title

Malaysia’s Danny Chia recorded a morale boosting victory in the US$50,000 International Championship presented by Telkomsel today after overturning an overnight deficit of seven strokes.

In a thrilling finish to the first ever event on the ASEAN Golf Tour, Chia lifted his first trophy in three years thanks to a steady final round two-under-par 70.

The 35 year old finished the tournament on three-over-par 291 and triumphed by three strokes from Indonesia’s Anis Helmi Hassan and amateur Suprapto, at Imperial Klub Golf near Jakarta.

Chia started the final round tied in second place with Denny Supriadi from Indonesia - seven strokes behind front runner Marvin Dumandan from the Philippines.

However, Chia made a brilliant start making three birdies in a row from the second and with Supriadi also playing well they quickly reeled in rookie professional Dumandan.

When Chia birdied the par-three 14th all three players were tied for the lead before the Malaysian was able to draw upon his vast experience over the closing holes to take control of the tournament.

Crucially he recorded another birdie on 17, holing a difficult downhill putt from 25 feet, while his playing partners struggled home.

Dumandan double bogeyed 16 and dropped a shot on 18 while Supriadi bogeyed 16 and made a double on 17. Dumandan closed with an 81 while Supriadi shot a 74 to finished joint fourth, four behind the winner.

“It has been a long week and a long time since I last won. I really needed this win to get my confidence back. I haven’t had this feeling in a long time,” said Chia, who won US$8,075.

His previous victory came in the Kinrara Masters in Malaysia in 2004. He played a near perfect round with the only blemish on his scorecard being a double bogey on the par-five 11th, where he lost his ball left off the tee.

That put him a couple off the pace but appeared to make him focus harder over the inward stretch.

“Even at the start of the round when I was seven back I did not feel I was out of it. It is a difficult course and I knew Marvin had not been in that position before. It will be a good learning experience for him, which is why the ASEAN Golf Tour has been set up,” said Chia, who in 2002 became the first player from his country to win on the Asian Tour when he claimed the Taiwan Open.

The next event on the ASEAN Golf Tour will be held in the Philippines from October 17 to 20. Five events are being played in total this year including stops in Vietnam, Singapore and Thailand.

Leading Final Round Scores (par 72):

291 – Danny Chia (MAS) 71-74-76-70
294 – Anis Helmi Hassan (INA) 73-80-70-71, Suprapto (INA) (a) 78-70-75-71
295 – Vuttipong Puangkeaw (THA) 73-78-73-71, Angelo Que (PHI) 76-72-76-71, Denny Supriadi (INA) 75-80-66-74, Marvin Dumandan (PHI) 70-73-71-81
296 – Mohd Shaaban Hussein (INA) 74-69-79-74
297 – Nakul Vichitryuthasastr (THA) 76-74-75-72, Pijit Petchkasem (THA) 73-73-78-73, Poh Eng Wah (SIN) 76-71-75-75

(a) denotes amateur

Selected:

302 – Lam Chih Bing (SIN) 77-77-75-73

September 7, 2007