Thai golfer Chapchai Nirat shot a 32-under-par over 72 holes, in what is thought to be the world’s lowest winning margin for relation to par, to claim the SAIL Open yesterday.
The 25-year-old Chapchai made a birdie on his final hole for a fourth-round 67 and a total of 256 on the par-72 Classic Golf Resort course to better the previous low mark of 31-under set by South African Ernie Els on a par-73 course at Kapalua, Hawaii, in 2003.
Chapchai improved on the Asian Tour’s previous best of 29-under, also set by Els, at the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia.
PHOTO: AFP
Els had a 29-under 259 total on Perth’s par-72 Lake Karrinyup course to also break the PGA European Tour’s previous 72-hole record for relation to par of 27-under.
Chapchai punched the air, then pressed his hands together to accept the congratulations from spectators.
Chapchai won the title with an 11-stroke margin over Richard Moir of Australia and Gaganjit Bhullar of India, who finished with four-round aggregates of 267.
This was Chapchai’s third title, two years after he won China’s TCL Classic and the Vietnam Open in the 2007 season.
Thailand’s Thammanoon Srirot was 13 strokes off the pace in a group of three with South Africa’s Keith Horne and Mark Purser of Australia. Australia’s Chris Gaunt and Thailand’s Wisut Artjanawat were a stroke back tied for seventh on 270.
■DELL CHAMPIONSHIP
AFP, XIAMEN, CHINA
Local favorite Wu Weihuang shot a two-under-par 70 to go 13-under and hold a three-stroke lead after the third round of the Dell Championship in Xiamen yesterday.
But the 40-year-old former martial arts star, who has recorded 14 top-10 finishes in 26 events on the Omega China Tour, will have to fend off a host of rising stars to seal a long-awaited first professional victory.
Alex Wu Ashun, Wu’s 23-year-old playing partner, shot 69 to remain second while American C.J. Gatto, also 23, fired a 66 to go eight-under ahead of today’s final round.
Omega Championship winner Zhou Jun, 25, also shot 66 to share fourth place on six-under with Shang Lei, the 27-year-old former Asian Tour player who posted a 68, and 18-year-old Korean Eom Jae-woong, who carded a 71.
Shenzhen-based Gatto, winner of last month’s Qualifying School and playing in his first 72-hole event since turning pro in August, surged up the leaderboard. The young American birdied five of the first seven holes on his way to equaling his best-ever score in a competitive tournament.
Taiwan’s Lin Keng-chi shot a 72 yesterday and was fifth on the leaderboard.
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