Thai
amateur Chinarat Phadungsil became the youngest winner on the Asian
Tour when he won inaugural Double A International Open after a play-off
triumph over India's Shiv Kapur on Sunday.
It was a record feat for Chinarat, who fired a superb six-under-par
67 in the final round at St Andrews Hill (2000) Golf Club to tie
Kapur before going on to beat the Indian at the second hole of a
sudden-death play-off with a birdie on the 18th hole.
Chinarat, the reigning World Junior Champion, is only the third
amateur to win a title in Asia and also enters the record book as
the youngest winner at the age of 17 years and five days, eclipsing
Korea's Kim Dae-sub, who won the 1998 Korean Open, by 78 days.
The 23-year-old Kapur, who had led from the first round, closed
with a 72, dropping crucial bogeys on 14 and 18 which forced extra
time. The leading duo had finished on 14-under-par 278.
Thailand’s Thonchai Jaidee, the reigning Asian Tour number
one, could have joined the play-off but lipped out a birdie attempt
from 12 feet on the last hole to settle for third place after signing
off with a 72.
“Ï am very happy … I felt very lucky today,"
said a beaming Chinarat, who was invited by Double A to play in
the inaugural US$300,000 event.
"After the first round, I wanted to break my putter because
I missed many putts but after spending three hours on the practice
green that day, my putting felt good and I felt I could be the champion
in the play-off,” said Chinarat, who qualified for next week's
HSBC Champions Tournament which will feature Tiger Woods.
After winning the World Junior Championship in San Diego earlier
this year, Chinarat reaffirmed his tremendous potential with an
outstanding final day performance where he shot eight birdies in
the last day, including three sensational closing birdies to force
a play-off.
He said the key moment was the birdie on the demanding 204 yards
par three 17th hole, the toughest all week at the par 73 St Andrews
Hill course which boasts of a first par six hole in a major tour.
“I did not feel any pressure in the play-off. After a birdie
on the 13th hole, I felt good but then I fumbled and bogeyed the
14th. I missed a three foot birdie on the 15th but birdied 16th,
17th and 18th which boosted my confidence,” said Chinarat,
who learned the game when he was eight.
“The 17th hole was the key moment because it was the hardest
hole on the course. I hit a five wood and it stopped two feet from
the cup. I really like the par five 18th hole because I birdied
it three times in regulation play and twice in the play-off.”
Both Kapur and Chinarat birdied the first play-off hole on 18 by
holing pressure-cooker putts from six feet before the Thai youngster,
who was smiling all the way, clinched it by nearly holing out for
eagle on the second extra hole with a beautiful chip. Kapur had
a 12-foot birdie putt to force a third play-off hole but it broke
too much to the left.
Kapur, who has posted his fourth top-10 in a row, was disappointed
to lose although he took home the winner's cheque of US$47,250 due
to Chinarat's amateur status.
“Of course I am disappointed but Chinarat was fantastic as
he held his nerve so well for a youngster. He will definitely be
someone to watch out for in the future. I'm happy for him,”
said Kapur, who stumbled early with a triple bogey before fighting
back with five birdies to stay in contention.
"In the second play-off hole, there was a lot of break in the
putt and we didn't expect that it would break by a planet. Looking
back, I stumbled on the last hole in regulation for bogey. I should
have gone for the green in two rather than laying up which cost
me a bogey.
"However, I can take a lot of positives from here. I went head
to head with Thongchai in the last two rounds and this is my fourth
straight top-10. I am going to look forward to Vietnam in two weeks
time."
Thailand's Thongchai was unlucky not to join the play-off as his
birdie putt on the last hole in regulation lipped out. "I hit
a good putt but the ball turned right to left instead of left to
right which I had thought."
Thailand’s Thammanoon Srirot, Australian Jason Dawes and India's
Harmeet Kahlon shared fourth place on 280, two shots behind the
winner while Australia's Unho Park was seventh on 281.
Leading final round scores
278 - Chinarat Phadungsil [A] (THA) 73-68-70-67, Shiv Kapur (IND)
66-68-72-72
(Chinarat won play-off in second extra hole)
279 - Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 67-71-69-72
280 - Harmeet Kahlon (IND) 71-69-71-69, Jason Dawes (AUS) 68-71-71-70,
Thammanoon Srirot (THA) 69-68-72-71
281 - Unho Park (AUS) 68-73-72-68
282 - Amandeep Johl (IND) 73-71-68-70
283 - Larry Austin (AUS) 73-69-71-70, Rahil Gangjee (IND) 71-73-69-70,
Jochen Lupprian (GER) 71-69-70-73
284 - Gaurav Ghei (IND) 74-71-70-69, Angelo Que (PHI) 69-70-75-70,
James Kingston (RSA) 71-73-71-69, Chris Travers (AUS) 72-69-73-70,
Scott Strange (AUS) 70-72-70-72, Kenny Walker (SCO) 66-73-71-74
285 - Wang Ter-Chang (TPE) 68-73-74-70, Digvijay Singh (IND) 73-73-69-70,
Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 69-76-69-71, Steven Tan (MAS) 70-70-72-73,
Pat Giles (AUS) 70-71-70-74, Simon Yates (SCO) 70-68-71-76
Thai
amateur Chinarat Phadungsil became the youngest winner on the Asian
Tour when he won inaugural Double A International Open after a play-off
triumph over India's Shiv Kapur on Sunday.
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