Asian golfers came one-two at Tugu Pratama tournament
JAKARTA (JP): Asian golfers notched up a fine effort by making a one-two finish in the US$250,000 Tugu Pratama PGA championships with Thailand's Thammanoon Siroj being the winner by one stroke over Singaporean Chua Guan Soon yesterday.
Thammanoon, 28, carded a final round 5-under par-67 for a four-day total of 14-under par-274 (67 66 74 67), one shot ahead of the Singaporean. For his winning strokes Thammanoon collected $40,375 first prize. Chua, who finished the round with an identical 67 with the champion for a 275 (71 68 69 67) pocketed $27,825.
Australian regular entry in the Asian Tour Paul Foley finished third after carding 277 to collect $15,600 third prize.
Thammanoon, paired with Chua in yesterday's final round, was made to fight until the very end by the Singaporean in the 19th leg of this season's Omega Tour.
The Thai took a two stroke lead with two holes to play but saw his lead cut to one after Chua rolled home a five-foot birdie putt on the par-4 17th.
On the 546-yard par-5 18th -- rated the trickiest hole by most golfers playing at the Bumi Serpong Damai layout -- both players found the fairway with their tee shots and faced the option of going for the green in two, a shot which is virtually all carry over a huge lake.
Danger
Thammanoon flirted with danger and smacked a three wood at the target. "I was aiming at the fairway just right of the green to make sure I didn't finish in the water," said Thammanoon, whose ball finished in the semi-rough just to the right green.
Chua cleared the water with a three wood and saw his ball run to the back of the green. The Thai player chipped to five feet while Chua played a poor chip down to the hole that finished seven feet short. The Singaporean kept the tournament alive after holing a difficult downhill putt for a four, forcing Thammanoon to hole his birdie putt to avoid a sudden-death play-off.
Thammanoon faced an identical situation last March when he holed from 10 feet for a birdie on the par-5 18th at the Royal Gems Golf and Sports Club to win the Singha Thai Prasit Bangkok Open and yesterday, facing another pressure packed putt for victory, once again slotted the ball home.
"I was really nervous on that last putt," said Thammanoon, who had led the tournament at the halfway mark on 11 under but had slipped back down the field on day three after shooting a 2-over par-74. He began the day in fourth place three shots behind American John Kernohan who took the lead from the Thai after three rounds on 12-under-par on Friday.
The American crashed out of contention in the final round shooting a 7-over par-79 while Thammanoon put together a bogey- free five birdie round.
Six local players who survived the cutoff after two rounds, Sanusi, Burhan Bora, Ilyasyak, Kasiyadi, Bachtiar Sanja and Maan Naasim were placed between the 35th and 66th tied positions. Sanusi had 287 (72 74 69 72), Burhan 289, Ilyasyak 290, Kasiyadi 291, Bachtiar 293 and Maan 296.
The Omega proceeds to Thailand next week for the $325,000 Royal Classic from Dec. 5 to 8. (rsl)