Prayad bests Kasiadi to win S'pore PGA title

By Bobby Allen Wilson

SINGAPORE (JP): Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng held off diminutive Indonesian Kasiadi yesterday to win the US$200,000 Yokohama Singapore PGA Championship at Raffles Country Club by one stroke.

The 31-year-old Thai avoided a play-off encounter with Kasiadi by holing a testing four foot putt for par on the last for a final round two-under-par 70 and a four round aggregate of 11- under-par 277.

The Surabaya-based Kasiadi returned a three-under-par 69 to take second, a stroke ahead of Thailand's Thammanoon Sriroj, who carded a level par 72, and American Eric Meeks, in with a 71.

In a close finish to the Omega Tour event Prayad was two ahead of Kasiadi, playing in the group in front, with two to play but gave the Indonesian a chance after three putting the par-three 17th from 18 feet.

Kasiadi's bid for honors began on the par-five eighth where he holed from 40 yards for an eagle. Birdies followed on 10, 11 and 16 allowing him to pick up US$22,260 for second place.

Kasiadi, 34, made golf history in Indonesia when he became the first local player to ever win the Indonesian Open title by carding an 11-under 273 in 1989.

Kasiadi, who started the round with flying color in the SingTel Ericsson Singapore Open last August, with a 68 and followed it with a 69 the next day, failed to maintain his form as he played poorly in the next rounds.

He had an even par-72 for a 209 and made it even worse at the final round with a 73 for a four-day total of 282 and placed at joined fourth and $10,635 cash prize.

With Kasiadi having parred the last and Thammanoon bogeying Prayad needed to two putts to take the first place cheque of $32,300.

Thammanoon, playing with Prayad in the final group, also got back into the picture after birdieing the 17th.

Tough

One ahead of Thammanoon and Kasiadi playing the 442-yard par four tough final hole Prayad used a two iron off the tee for safety. He found the left rough from where he was able to hit an eight iron to the center of the green lying 15 feet from the pin.

"On the 17th I was just trying to two putt because I had already three putted there this week," said Prayad. "I rushed the putt six feet by and missed the return. I think I was thinking too much on that hole so on the 18th I tried not to think about anything apart from getting the right pace," said Prayad.

"I went back to using my old putter this week for the first time in four months and it worked really well. That was the key for me," said Prayad, who made four birdies and two bogies in his round.

The Thai player won the Volvo China Open last year in convincing fashion by nine strokes in Beijing and blames poor putting for the reason why it has taken him until now to win his second Omega Tour event.

"This victory feels far more thrilling," added Prayad. "I won quiet easily in China but here it was close all the way up to the finish."

The next event on the Asian PGA's Omega Tour is the US$200,000 Pakistan Masters to be played at the Karachi Golf Club from Oct. 16 to 19.

Results: 277 - Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) (71 71 65 70) 278 - Kasiadi (Ina) (69 69 71 69) 279 - Eric Meeks (USA) (72 69 67 71), Thammanoon Sriroj (Tha) (67 67 73 72) 282 - Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) (76 69 72 65) 283 - Grant Dodd (Aus) (67 72 74 70), Craig Kamps (Rsa) (69 72 72 70) 284 - Fran Quinn (USA) (72 69 75 68), Aaron Meeks (USA) (69 73 72 70), Mike Cunning (USA) (66 74 73 71), Wayne Bradley (Rsa) (70 73 65 76) 285 - Leith Wastle (Aus) (72 70 74 69) 286 - Zaw Moe (Myn) (71 74 73 68), Paul Foley (Aus) (72 77 68 69), Nico van Rensburg (Rsa) (70 74 67 75) 287 - Myint Thaung (Myn) (73 73 70 71) 288 - Toru Kinoshita (Jpn) (72 69 77 70), Jeev Milkha Singh (Ind) (71 72 75 70), Lin Chien-Bing (Twn) (74 70 73 71), Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) (70 74 72 72), Ted Purdy (USA) (74 71 70 73) 290 - Lee Petters (UAE) (76 72 72 70), Adrian Percey (Aus) (74 69 75 72), Paul Friedlander (Swi) (73 73 71 73) 291 - Chris Williams (Gbr) (74 74 72 71), Wang Ter-Chang (Twn) (75 74 70 72), Rafael Ponce (Ecu) (74 74 71 72), Chang Tse-Peng (Twn) (75 73 70 73), Brad Andrews (Aus) (72 72 73 74), Yeh Wei-Tze (Twn) (68 77 71 75)