Prayad bests Kasiadi to win S'pore PGA title<\/p>\n
By Bobby Allen Wilson<\/p>\n
SINGAPORE (JP): Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng held off
\ndiminutive Indonesian Kasiadi yesterday to win the US$200,000
\nYokohama Singapore PGA Championship at Raffles Country Club by
\none stroke.<\/p>\n
The 31-year-old Thai avoided a play-off encounter with Kasiadi
\nby holing a testing four foot putt for par on the last for a
\nfinal round two-under-par 70 and a four round aggregate of 11-
\nunder-par 277.<\/p>\n
The Surabaya-based Kasiadi returned a three-under-par 69 to
\ntake second, a stroke ahead of Thailand's Thammanoon Sriroj, who
\ncarded a level par 72, and American Eric Meeks, in with a 71.<\/p>\n
In a close finish to the Omega Tour event Prayad was two ahead
\nof Kasiadi, playing in the group in front, with two to play but
\ngave the Indonesian a chance after three putting the par-three
\n17th from 18 feet.<\/p>\n
Kasiadi's bid for honors began on the par-five eighth where he
\nholed from 40 yards for an eagle. Birdies followed on 10, 11 and
\n16 allowing him to pick up US$22,260 for second place.<\/p>\n
Kasiadi, 34, made golf history in Indonesia when he became the
\nfirst local player to ever win the Indonesian Open title by
\ncarding an 11-under 273 in 1989.<\/p>\n
Kasiadi, who started the round with flying color in the
\nSingTel Ericsson Singapore Open last August, with a 68 and
\nfollowed it with a 69 the next day, failed to maintain his form
\nas he played poorly in the next rounds.<\/p>\n
He had an even par-72 for a 209 and made it even worse at the
\nfinal round with a 73 for a four-day total of 282 and placed at
\njoined fourth and $10,635 cash prize.<\/p>\n
With Kasiadi having parred the last and Thammanoon bogeying
\nPrayad needed to two putts to take the first place cheque of
\n$32,300.<\/p>\n
Thammanoon, playing with Prayad in the final group, also got
\nback into the picture after birdieing the 17th.<\/p>\n
Tough<\/p>\n
One ahead of Thammanoon and Kasiadi playing the 442-yard par
\nfour tough final hole Prayad used a two iron off the tee for
\nsafety. He found the left rough from where he was able to hit an
\neight iron to the center of the green lying 15 feet from the pin.<\/p>\n
\"On the 17th I was just trying to two putt because I had
\nalready three putted there this week,\" said Prayad. \"I rushed
\nthe putt six feet by and missed the return. I think I was
\nthinking too much on that hole so on the 18th I tried not to
\nthink about anything apart from getting the right pace,\" said
\nPrayad.<\/p>\n
\"I went back to using my old putter this week for the first
\ntime in four months and it worked really well. That was the key
\nfor me,\" said Prayad, who made four birdies and two bogies in his
\nround.<\/p>\n
The Thai player won the Volvo China Open last year in
\nconvincing fashion by nine strokes in Beijing and blames poor
\nputting for the reason why it has taken him until now to win his
\nsecond Omega Tour event.<\/p>\n
\"This victory feels far more thrilling,\" added Prayad. \"I won
\nquiet easily in China but here it was close all the way up to the
\nfinish.\"<\/p>\n
The next event on the Asian PGA's Omega Tour is the US$200,000
\nPakistan Masters to be played at the Karachi Golf Club from Oct.
\n16 to 19.<\/p>\n
Results:
\n 277 - Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) (71 71 65 70)
\n 278 - Kasiadi (Ina) (69 69 71 69)
\n 279 - Eric Meeks (USA) (72 69 67 71), Thammanoon Sriroj (Tha)
\n(67 67 73 72)
\n 282 - Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) (76 69 72 65)
\n 283 - Grant Dodd (Aus) (67 72 74 70), Craig Kamps (Rsa) (69 72
\n72 70)
\n 284 - Fran Quinn (USA) (72 69 75 68), Aaron Meeks (USA) (69 73
\n72 70), Mike Cunning (USA) (66 74 73 71), Wayne Bradley
\n(Rsa) (70 73 65 76)
\n 285 - Leith Wastle (Aus) (72 70 74 69)
\n 286 - Zaw Moe (Myn) (71 74 73 68), Paul Foley (Aus) (72 77 68
\n69), Nico van Rensburg (Rsa) (70 74 67 75)
\n 287 - Myint Thaung (Myn) (73 73 70 71)
\n 288 - Toru Kinoshita (Jpn) (72 69 77 70), Jeev Milkha Singh
\n(Ind) (71 72 75 70), Lin Chien-Bing (Twn) (74 70 73 71),
\nThaworn Wiratchant (Tha) (70 74 72 72), Ted Purdy (USA)
\n(74 71 70 73)
\n 290 - Lee Petters (UAE) (76 72 72 70), Adrian Percey (Aus) (74
\n69 75 72), Paul Friedlander (Swi) (73 73 71 73)
\n 291 - Chris Williams (Gbr) (74 74 72 71), Wang Ter-Chang (Twn)
\n(75 74 70 72), Rafael Ponce (Ecu) (74 74 71 72), Chang
\nTse-Peng (Twn) (75 73 70 73), Brad Andrews (Aus) (72 72
\n73 74), Yeh Wei-Tze (Twn) (68 77 71 75)<\/p>",
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