Thailand’s Chawalit Plaphol extended his lead in the US$60,000 Mercedes-Benz Masters Singapore to six strokes yesterday after shooting his best round of the week with a six-under-par 66.
He moved to an impressive 15-under-par 201 for three rounds at Laguna National Golf and Country Club and is well-placed to secure his second Mercedes-Benz Tour title of the year.
His 17-year-old compatriot Panuphol Pittayarat is in second place after also carding a 66.
Singapore’s Lam Chih Bing stormed back into contention with a 65 and is tied for third with compatriot and defending champion Mardan Mamat, Singapore-based Australian Scott Barr and Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert. They are nine shots behind Chawalit.
Chawalit has made only two bogeys in three rounds, one of which came yesterday, but was overshadowed by seven birdies. He made four birdies on the trot from the first hole.
“I feel no pressure. The past few months have been great for me. I feel like a different player,” said Chawalit, who has led since day one.
He now sits in the same situation as he was in the previous Mercedes-Benz Tour event where he led for the first three rounds at the Singha E-san Open.
On that occasion, the 35-year-old was overtaken on the final day by his countryman Thaworn Wiratchant, but few can see him slipping up Saturday.
Chawalit claimed the ICTSI Mt Malarayat Championship last month in Tour.
He won that event by eight strokes to emphatically announce his comeback after a poor run of form for 18 months.
Second-placed Panuphol, a talented golfer nicknamed “Coconut” because of his round chubby features, is continuing to build a name for himself after some fine performances last year on the Mercedes-Benz Tour.
He made eight birdies and two bogeys yesterday, twice putting in for birdie from off the green.
“Yesterday nothing went right even though I worked really hard at it. So I felt I deserved it today. Everything came together,” said Panuphol, whose father is on his bag.
Taiwan’s top women’s badminton doubles duo, Hsieh Pei-shan (謝沛珊) and Hung En-tzu (洪恩慈), achieved a straight-sets victory over Japan’s Kaho Osawa and Mayui Tanabe at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Super 300 Macau Open on Sunday. The Taiwanese pair won the final 21-18, 21-12, marking the duo’s second title this year after their win at the BWF Super 300 Taipei Open in May. The match on Sunday was their first encounter with the Japanese duo, ranked No. 63 in the world. Hsieh and Hung, ranked No. 12, began the opening game well. Hung, who plays left-handed, performed strongly at both the net and the
Canadian teenager Victoria Mboko upset top-seeded Coco Gauff 6-1, 6-4 on Saturday night to reach the National Bank Open quarter-finals. “Your support was incredible,” Mboko told the crowd in French after a chorus of “Ole, Ole, Ole” chants echoed around the venue. “I’m really happy to win today ... It’s incredible. I’m so happy to beat such a great champion.” Gauff dropped to 2-3 since winning the French Open. She followed the major victory with opening losses in Berlin and Wimbledon, then overcame double-fault problems to win two three-set matches in Montreal. Gauff had five double-faults on Saturday after having 23 in
Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen on Thursday said that he is staying with the Red Bull team next year, ending months of speculation over his future. “Some people just like to stir the pot, some people just like to create drama, but, for me, it’s always been quite clear, and also for next year,” the four-time champion said ahead of the Hungarian Grand Prix. “I’m discussing with the team already the plans — the things that we want to change for next year, so that means that I’m also staying with the team for next year,” he said. Verstappen has a contract with
Alex Michelsen on Thursday rallied for a 3-6, 7-6 (7/4), 6-4 upset victory over third-seeded Lorenzo Musetti in the men’s singles, converting his seventh match point to reach the fourth round of the Canadian Open. Michelsen reached the last 16 of a Masters 1000 for the first time with his second win over a top-10 player in eight attempts. The 20-year-old American survived nearly 50 unforced errors and converted just two of nine break chances, but it was enough to vanquish Italy’s Musetti, a two-time Grand Slam semi-finalist ranked 10th in the world. “It feels really good,” the 26th-ranked Michelsen said. “I’ve put
RSS