Asian Tour finale for 2009
Scot Simon Yates beaten in three-wayplay-off for King's Cup in Thailand
Scot Simon Yates lost a three-way play-off for the Asian Tour's King's Cup tournament at Singha Park Kohn Kaen Golf Club, Khon Kaen, Thailand.
Victory - his first on the Asian Tour - went to Chinese Taipei's Chan Yih-shin who holed a birdie putt from 5ft at the second hole of the sudden death play-off in which England's Nick Redfern was the third participant.
Yates, pictured, who had hit his approach shot closest of the three to the flagstick, missed his birdie putt from 3ft which would have taken the play-off to the third hole.
Chan Yih-shin ended the regulation 72 holes with a final round of two-under-par 70 for a 14-under-par 274 total which was matched by Redfern, who shot a blistering 66 which included an unfortunate double bogey on 17. Yates returned a 68 in the season’s final event.
The trio posted matching pars on the first extra hole but Chan rose to the occasion with an exquisite approach for his winning birdie putt to win the US$47,550 top prize in the King’s Cup presented by Singha and Sports Authority of Thailand.
“I’m feeling ecstatic. I played well throughout the week and I’m really happy. When I was trailing by a few shots with a few holes to play, I thought I didn’t have a chance to win and I just wanted to finish as high as possible,” said Chan, who ended his season in 28th place on the Order of Merit.
Chan, who led for the first three rounds, made a crucial 8ft birdie putt on the 17th hole to draw level with Yates and Redfern. “After Nick double bogeyed the 17th hole, I was back in the tournament. I made a crucial birdie putt on 17 from eight feet to draw level. That was an important moment,” he said.
Redfern was in red-hot form, reeling in eight birdies to o pen up a two-stroke lead with two holes to play before being plugged in a greenside bunker with his tee shot at the short 17th. He needed two attempts to escape the sand to stumble to a double bogey back into a tie for the lead.
“The incident on 17 didn’t affect me at all because I made a good putt for 5 and just kept myself going down the last,” said Redfern, who was playing in only his fourth Asian Tour tournament this year.
“Getting tied second is a pretty good result for me. I had 17 good holes but got a little bit unlucky on the 17th hole. Overall it is good, I will be taking back a lot of confidence from this tournament.”
Yates, who recently returned from an injury spell, brilliantly charged into the title hunt but was disappointed to miss his short putt to take the play-off to a third hole.
“It’s disappointing. The last putt broke so hard from right to left and I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was left edge as I saw Chan’s putt earlier and he missed it right and I got confused. So I aimed it in the middle and missed it,” said Yates, who was hoping to win a third Asian Tour title.
“It was still a good week. There were some nerves and it was nice to get that feeling again, especially yesterday when I got on a roll. I can take the positives away from this week.”
The trio posted matching pars on the first extra hole but Chan rose to the occasion with an exquisite approach for his winning birdie putt to win the US$47,550 top prize in the King’s Cup presented by Singha and Sports Authority of Thailand.
“I’m feeling ecstatic. I played well throughout the week and I’m really happy. When I was trailing by a few shots with a few holes to play, I thought I didn’t have a chance to win and I just wanted to finish as high as possible,” said Chan, who ended his season in 28th place on the Order of Merit.
Chan, who led for the first three rounds, made a crucial 8ft birdie putt on the 17th hole to draw level with Yates and Redfern. “After Nick double bogeyed the 17th hole, I was back in the tournament. I made a crucial birdie putt on 17 from eight feet to draw level. That was an important moment,” he said.
Redfern was in red-hot form, reeling in eight birdies to o pen up a two-stroke lead with two holes to play before being plugged in a greenside bunker with his tee shot at the short 17th. He needed two attempts to escape the sand to stumble to a double bogey back into a tie for the lead.
“The incident on 17 didn’t affect me at all because I made a good putt for 5 and just kept myself going down the last,” said Redfern, who was playing in only his fourth Asian Tour tournament this year.
“Getting tied second is a pretty good result for me. I had 17 good holes but got a little bit unlucky on the 17th hole. Overall it is good, I will be taking back a lot of confidence from this tournament.”
Yates, who recently returned from an injury spell, brilliantly charged into the title hunt but was disappointed to miss his short putt to take the play-off to a third hole.
“It’s disappointing. The last putt broke so hard from right to left and I couldn’t believe it. I thought it was left edge as I saw Chan’s putt earlier and he missed it right and I got confused. So I aimed it in the middle and missed it,” said Yates, who was hoping to win a third Asian Tour title.
“It was still a good week. There were some nerves and it was nice to get that feeling again, especially yesterday when I got on a roll. I can take the positives away from this week.”
Asian Tour No 1 Thongchai Jaidee hailed his 2009 season as the “best year of my life” and then set his sights on next year’s Majors.
The Thai star ended a memorable campaign with an equal 11th place finish at the King’s Cup as he was officially crowned as Asia’s No 1 player for a record third time.
The former paratrooper won twice this season, finished top-10 in three other events and did not miss a single cut on the Asian Tour to earn a little over US$980,000, his career highest earnings in a single season.
The former paratrooper won twice this season, finished top-10 in three other events and did not miss a single cut on the Asian Tour to earn a little over US$980,000, his career highest earnings in a single season.
LEADING FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72)
274 Chan Yih-shin (TPE) 64-73-67-70, Simon Yates (SCO) 71-69-66-68, Nick Redfern (ENG) 74-66-68-66 (Chan won play-off with birdie on second extra hole)
276 Harmeet Kahlon ( IND ) 71-67-72-66, Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 70-70-71-65
277 Kim Dae-hyun (KOR) 70-68-73-66, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 66-72-71-68, Rahil Gangjee (IND) 74-64-68-71, 279 - Mark Purser (NZL) 68-75-65-71
280 Matthew Griffin (AUS) 72-69-69-70
281 Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 70-73-71-67, Neven Basic (AUS) 73-68-70-70
282 Vasin Sripattranusorn [A] (THA) 71-70-71-70, Ross Bain (SCO) 69-69-71-73
283 Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) 70-71-75-67, Digvijay Singh ( IND ) 70-73-69-71
284 Artemio Murakami (PHI) 70-75-70-69, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 71-70-73-70, Thammanoon Srirot (THA) 73-68-71-72, Corey Harris (USA) 69-70-73-72
274 Chan Yih-shin (TPE) 64-73-67-70, Simon Yates (SCO) 71-69-66-68, Nick Redfern (ENG) 74-66-68-66 (Chan won play-off with birdie on second extra hole)
276 Harmeet Kahlon ( IND ) 71-67-72-66, Prayad Marksaeng (THA) 70-70-71-65
277 Kim Dae-hyun (KOR) 70-68-73-66, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 66-72-71-68, Rahil Gangjee (IND) 74-64-68-71, 279 - Mark Purser (NZL) 68-75-65-71
280 Matthew Griffin (AUS) 72-69-69-70
281 Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 70-73-71-67, Neven Basic (AUS) 73-68-70-70
282 Vasin Sripattranusorn [A] (THA) 71-70-71-70, Ross Bain (SCO) 69-69-71-73
283 Pavit Tangkamolprasert (THA) 70-71-75-67, Digvijay Singh ( IND ) 70-73-69-71
284 Artemio Murakami (PHI) 70-75-70-69, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 71-70-73-70, Thammanoon Srirot (THA) 73-68-71-72, Corey Harris (USA) 69-70-73-72
Labels: ASIAN TOUR
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, December 06, 2009
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