Overnight leader Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand shot an even-par 71 to seal the Dunlop Phoenix title yesterday, finishing one shot clear of Japan’s teenage sensation Ryo Ishikawa.
Starting the day with a two-stroke lead, Prayad hit a double bogey on the 11th hole at the Phoneix Country Club, but he also sunk five birdies to finish the tournament with a four-round total of eight-under-par 276.
Seventeen-year-old Ishikawa finished in the runners-up spot on 277, followed by Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano of Spain, Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama and Hiroyuki Fujita, all on 278.
It is Prayad’s third title on the Japan Tour, following victories at the Diamond Cup in May and the Mizuno Open in June, and he picked up the winner’s check of ¥40 million (US$420,000).
Defending champion Ian Poulter of England hit a 69 to share eighth place with American Brandt Snedeker and four other Japanese golfers, while pre-tournament favorite Ernie Els of South Africa finished in a tie for 15th place with a score of 283.
■ VIETNAM MASTERS
AFP, HANOI
Thailand’s Wisut Artjanawat won the Mercedes-Benz Masters Vietnam yesterday after a storming six-under-par back nine featuring back-to-back eagles.
The 27-year-old, who carded a course record-equalling seven-under-par 65, beat compatriot Pavit Tangkamolprasert by one stroke at Hanoi’s Van Tri Golf Club.
Thailand’s Kwanchai Tannin and Pravee Visalkit, who started the day sharing the lead, finished third and fourth respectively in the US$50,000 tournament.
Wisut, who also won the Mercedes-Benz Masters Philippines in May, teed off five shots behind the leaders and even at the turn he did not feature on the leaderboard.
However, he catapulted himself into first place with eagles on 10 and 11 and birdies on 13 and 15.
He heads home to compete in this week’s Mercedes-Benz Masters Thailand, the final event of the season on the Mercedes-Benz Tour.
■ ADT CHAMPIONSHIP
AFP, WEST PALM BEACH, Florida
Suzann Pettersen topped the leaderboard heading into the final round of the season-ending USLPGA’s ADT Championship.
Pettersen led the way as eight players qualified for yesterday’s final round of the event that features a first prize of US$1 million. Scores will be reset and yesterday was expected to be a mad dash for the big prize.
Pettersen fired a four-under-par 68 despite a triple-bogey on the par-four fourth hole.
She carded seven of her eight birdies after the miscue at the fourth and wrapped up a spot in yesterday’s final round with four straight birdies starting at No. 13.
Looking for her first win of the season, Pettersen had just two birdies in her first two rounds combined at Trump International Golf Club.
FRUSTRATION: Alcaraz made several unforced errors over four sets against Bosnian Damir Dzumhur, who had never made it past the third round in a major competition Defending champion Carlos Alcaraz reached the fourth round of the French Open after laboring past Damir Dzumhur 6-1, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4 in the Friday night session. The second-seeded Spaniard had never before played Dzumhur, a 33-year-old Bosnian who had never been past the third round at any major tournament. “I suffered quite a lot today,” Alcaraz said. “The first two sets was under control, then he started to play more deeply and more aggressively. It was really difficult for me.” Dzumhur hurt his left knee in a fall in the second round, and had treatment on Friday on his right leg during the
‘DREAM’: The 5-0 victory was PSG’s first Champions League title, and the biggest final win by any team in the 70-year history of the top-flight European competition Paris Saint-Germain won the Champions League for the first time as Luis Enrique’s brilliant young side outclassed Inter on Saturday in the most one-sided final ever with teenager Desire Doue scoring twice in an astonishing 5-0 victory. Doue supplied the pass for Achraf Hakimi to give PSG an early lead and the 19-year-old went from provider to finisher as his deflected shot doubled the advantage in the 20th minute. Doue scored again just after the hour mark, ending any doubt about the outcome before Khvicha Kvaratskhelia ran away to get the fourth and substitute Senny Mayulu, another teenager, made it five. Inter were
The horn sounded on Wednesday night to signal a third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, as the Florida Panthers celebrated merely by hopping over the boards and several heading over to congratulate goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. It was a subdued celebration seemingly more befitting a regular-season win for the reigning Cup champs. “I remember a few years ago, it felt like such an accomplishment from where we were at one point,” forward Matthew Tkachuk said, adding: “It’s all business and we’ve got a bigger goal in mind.” The Panthers closed out the Carolina Hurricanes in five games, with a 5-3 victory in
The Edmonton Oilers on Thursday defeated the Dallas Stars 6-3 to book their place in the Stanley Cup Finals, setting up a repeat of last year’s NHL showpiece against reigning champions the Florida Panthers. The Oilers, bidding to become the first Canadian team to win the NHL’s championship series since the 1993 Montreal Canadiens, head to Florida for Game 1 of the best-of-seven series set for Wednesday. Florida, who are to play in the NHL showpiece for the third straight season, won last year’s title 4-3 to extend Canada’s decades-long Stanley Cup drought. Connor McDavid led Edmonton back to the championship series on
RSS