Thai
star Thongchai Jaidee reached seventh heaven today when he held
off India's Jyoti Randhawa and Swede Henrik Stenson to retain his
US$1.21 million Carlsberg Malaysian Open title by three strokes.
The Asian Tour number one, who took a six shot lead into the final
round, carded a two-under-par 70 to secure his seventh career title
and matched Kang Wook-soon's most number of victories in the region.
It was also the first time that the former paratrooper had won back-to-back
triumphs in his glowing career.
Randhawa birdied the last hole en route to a 67 to finish runner-up
and make it a memorable one-two sweep for the Asian Tour at the
US$1.21 million championship, jointly sanctioned with the European
Tour.
Swede Stenson, who got to within two strokes of Thongchai, also
closed with a 67 to finish a further stroke back in third place.
Irishman Paul McGinley and another Swede, Niclas Fasth, shared fourth
position.
"I'm feeling very good right now. I was looking for a good
week after missing the cut in Singapore last month. It feels fantastic.
This win is better than last year," said Thongchai, who compiled
a winning total of 21-under-par 267.
"As the defending champion, winning again feels very good.
This is the first time I've regained a title and this is also my
second European Tour triumph. I like this Saujana course."
Thongchai's success marked another great chapter in his impressive
career, which started as a 13 year old playing with a makeshift
three iron stuck on a bamboo stick. Victory was worth US$201,660
and hauled him back to his familiar place at the top of the Asian
Tour Order of Merit.
But it did not come easy. His overnight six-shot lead dwindled
to two strokes at one stage with the fast-charging Randhawa and
Stenson launching a title challenge. However the Thai, decked in
his lucky red tee-shirt, held his nerve and sealed it with a birdie
on the par three 16th, which is proving to be his lucky hole as
he had aced the same hole en route to his triumph 12 months ago.
After starting strongly with birdies on the fourth and sixth, Thongchai
dropped a bogey on the ninth after finding the greenside trap. With
Randhawa and Stenson lurking, the pressure was on and Thongchai
made life difficult by hooking his drive into out of bounds on the
11th. He courageously birdied his second ball for a bogey five as
Stenson, who turned in 32, narrowed the gap to two. But the Swede's
charge faltered on the par five 14th with a bogey after nearly finding
water with his approach shot.
Randhawa, playing in the same group with Thongchai, was four under
for the day through 13 but his momentum halted, no thanks to a 10-foot
birdie attempt that lipped out. Leading by three heading to the
tricky 16th, Thongchai knocked his tee shot to 12 feet of the flag
and rolled in the birdie putt which killed off his challengers'
hopes.
"Standing on the bogey putt on 11, I told myself I needed
to make that as it was getting close. It was a great bogey. It then
turned for me on 16 when I made birdie. I think I won it there,"
said the Thai, who also earned a spot to play in the WGC-NEC Invitational
with the success.
Randhawa paid tribute to the man who also beat him to last year's
Asian Tour Order of Merit crown. "I gave it a go. I came back
strongly in mid-round with some birdies. But after missing the birdie
on 14, I didn't really have a chance.
"Thongchai is a great player. He did lose it a bit with some
bogeys and missing a few birdies. But he made a great recovery on
11 after hitting it to out of bounds. I thought we could have a
chance as he was looking at a possible six there. But he recovered
well with a five. He's a good player and he played well," said
Randhawa.
Thailand's Prom Meesawat shot a closing 73 to finish in tied sixth
place on 277 and while China's Liang Wen-chong enjoyed another strong
outing with an equal eighth finish on 278.
Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez finished strongly with a 69 for tied
sixth place while Irish star Padraig Harrington, playing in the
final group, faded to a 74 and settled for tied eighth position.
Leading final round scores
267 - Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 64-66-67-70
270 - Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 70-68-65-67
271 - Henrik Stenson (SWE) 69-64-71-67
276 - Paul Mcginley (IRL) 68-70-70-68, Niclas Fasth (SWE) 67-70-71-68
282 - Maarten Lafeber (NDL) 69-68-72-73, Marcus Fraser (AUS) 73-71-70-68,
Thomas Bj?rn (DEN) 68-64-73-77
283 - Danny Chia (MAS) 73-70-70-70, Rick Gibson (CAN) 73-68-70-72,
Peter Lawrie (IRL) 71-70-70-72, James Kingston (RSA) 75-69-70-69,
Simon Wakefield (ENG) 70-74-70-69, Chawalit Plaphol (THA) 73-70-74-66,
Stuart Manley (WAL) 70-71-66-76
Thai
star Thongchai Jaidee reached seventh heaven today when he held
off India's Jyoti Randhawa and Swede Henrik Stenson to retain his
US$1.21 million Carlsberg Malaysian Open title by three strokes.
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