Thongchai Jaidee won the Ballantine’s Championship yesterday after beating South Korea’s Kang Sung-hoon and Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano on the first hole of a playoff.
The 39-year-old Thai clinched his fourth European Tour title when he made birdie on the par-four 18th, the first hole of the playoff.
“When we got to the playoff, I knew that I would stand a good chance as I had just finished playing that hole about 15 minutes ago,” Thongchai said of winning his 12th Asian Tour title.
PHOTO: AP
Fernandez-Castano lost his opportunity in the playoff when his second shot went through the back of the green, while Kang disappointed the locals when he pushed his birdie putt wide after he and Thongchai had reached the green in two shots.
The 22-year-old Kang, who hails from Jeju, also threw away a one-shot lead in regulation with a bogey on the last hole of a round that featured two eagles.
Thongchai, who had begun the day four shots behind overnight leader Robert-Jan Derksen, finished on four-under 284 for the tournament at the Pinx Golf Club.
He started the day strongly with a birdie at the par-four first and another at the fourth, before he dropped a shot at the fifth. Picking up another birdie at the 10th, he held par for the rest of the round to post a two-under 70.
Fernandez-Castano made the biggest charge of the day after starting five shots behind Derksen, taking a share of the lead with compatriot Pablo Martin at the turn on the back of two birdies and an eagle three at the fourth.
The 29-year-old mixed two birdies with two bogeys on the home stretch to finish with a 69, while Martin’s challenge collapsed on the back nine when he shot three bogeys and a double-bogey six at the 13th for a 76.
Kang made an eagle on the par-five 10th and another on the par-five 16th to combine with two birdies on the front nine, although the bogey at the last ruined his chance of winning the title.
Derksen, who had a two-shot lead entering the final round, also slumped to a 76 after three bogeys on his front nine. The Dutchman finished in a tie for fourth with Britain’s Seve Benson (69), Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello (70) and South Africa’s Ernie Els (71).
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