CHRIS WOOD MAKE'S THAILAND OPEN HIS FIRST PRO VICTORY
NEWS RELEASE
BANGKOK, August 12 - Englishman Chris Wood scored the first win of his professional career today with a two-shot victory in a rain-interrupted U.S. $1 million Thailand Open, breaking the hearts of home fans seeking a first Thai champion in eight years.
The 24-year-old European Tour regular -- competing in a OneAsia Tour event for the first time -- fired rounds of 67, 64, 67 and 67 for a 23-under par total of 265, although preferred lies were allowed because of soggy conditions at the 6,471 metre (7,077 yard) Suwan Golf and Country Club.
Hard-charging Thais Arnond Vongvanij (65) and Wisut Artjanawat (67) battled to catch the strapping 1.96-metre (6 ft 5 inch) Wood, but had to settle for a share of third place with Korean Lee Dong-hwan (67).
Alone in second was Jang Dong-kyu, also of Korea, who completed the first nine holes in just 29 shots en-route to a closing 63 and the best result of his career.
"It is brilliant – I am really, really pleased," Wood said, after what appeared to be a victory march from the 17th was interrupted by a rain delay of over an hour.
"It is hard winning. I always felt that once I got one win it would give me the confidence to go on and win more, so hopefully I can take this confidence back to the remainder of the tournaments I have got for the season."
Wood, one of five European Tour regulars competing in the event, was four under after six holes on Sunday, but gave his rivals a glimmer of hope with a bogey on the eighth.
At the 11th, however, he put one hand on the winner's cheque of over US$181,000 with a birdie putt of around 30 feet -- and then effectively pocketed it with an even longer effort on 15.
"It was a tough putt, but I putted really nicely this week," he said.
"I think I have turned the corner in my putting which has let me down all season. I have been playing as well as I have done this week but without converting chances. It is nice to convert a few. I always knew once I cracked the putting I would be winning and this week proved my point."
At four under, the cut was the lowest in OneAsia's history -- reflecting the strength of a field that was also bolstered by the presence of 20 Japan Tour players as part of a growing relationship between the circuits.
Wood turned professional in 2008 after finishing fifth in the Open Championship and then underscored his potential by bettering that the following year when he just missed out on making a play-off with Stewart Cink and Tom Watson at Turnberry. With a second and third place finish on the European tour this year, it was only a matter of time before he broke his duck.
Thailand Open defending champion Andre Stolz of Australia, who went on the win the OneAsia Order of Merit title last year, finished at eleven under after closing with a 67, his best round of the week.
The day belonged to Wood, however, who plans a break with his family to celebrate the win.
"I am going home for a week, a bit of rest, share it with my family and then onto Gleneagles in Scotland for a tournament," he said.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72) Yardage 7,077
BANGKOK, August 12 - Englishman Chris Wood scored the first win of his professional career today with a two-shot victory in a rain-interrupted U.S. $1 million Thailand Open, breaking the hearts of home fans seeking a first Thai champion in eight years.
The 24-year-old European Tour regular -- competing in a OneAsia Tour event for the first time -- fired rounds of 67, 64, 67 and 67 for a 23-under par total of 265, although preferred lies were allowed because of soggy conditions at the 6,471 metre (7,077 yard) Suwan Golf and Country Club.
Hard-charging Thais Arnond Vongvanij (65) and Wisut Artjanawat (67) battled to catch the strapping 1.96-metre (6 ft 5 inch) Wood, but had to settle for a share of third place with Korean Lee Dong-hwan (67).
Alone in second was Jang Dong-kyu, also of Korea, who completed the first nine holes in just 29 shots en-route to a closing 63 and the best result of his career.
"It is brilliant – I am really, really pleased," Wood said, after what appeared to be a victory march from the 17th was interrupted by a rain delay of over an hour.
"It is hard winning. I always felt that once I got one win it would give me the confidence to go on and win more, so hopefully I can take this confidence back to the remainder of the tournaments I have got for the season."
Wood, one of five European Tour regulars competing in the event, was four under after six holes on Sunday, but gave his rivals a glimmer of hope with a bogey on the eighth.
At the 11th, however, he put one hand on the winner's cheque of over US$181,000 with a birdie putt of around 30 feet -- and then effectively pocketed it with an even longer effort on 15.
"It was a tough putt, but I putted really nicely this week," he said.
"I think I have turned the corner in my putting which has let me down all season. I have been playing as well as I have done this week but without converting chances. It is nice to convert a few. I always knew once I cracked the putting I would be winning and this week proved my point."
At four under, the cut was the lowest in OneAsia's history -- reflecting the strength of a field that was also bolstered by the presence of 20 Japan Tour players as part of a growing relationship between the circuits.
Wood turned professional in 2008 after finishing fifth in the Open Championship and then underscored his potential by bettering that the following year when he just missed out on making a play-off with Stewart Cink and Tom Watson at Turnberry. With a second and third place finish on the European tour this year, it was only a matter of time before he broke his duck.
Thailand Open defending champion Andre Stolz of Australia, who went on the win the OneAsia Order of Merit title last year, finished at eleven under after closing with a 67, his best round of the week.
The day belonged to Wood, however, who plans a break with his family to celebrate the win.
"I am going home for a week, a bit of rest, share it with my family and then onto Gleneagles in Scotland for a tournament," he said.
FINAL TOTALS
Par 288 (4x72) Yardage 7,077
265 Chris WOOD (ENG) 67-64-67-67.
267 JANG Dong-kyu (KOR) 68-69-67-63.
268 Arnond VONGVANIJ (THA) 67-67-69-65, Wisut ARTJANAWAT (THA) 66-64-71-67, LEE Dong-hwan (KOR) 67-67-67-67.
270 Mark BROWN (NZL) 70-65-70-65.
271 Yasunori YOSHIDA (JPN) 64-72-70-65, KIM Meen-Whee (KOR) 69-68-66-68, CHAN Shih-chang (TPE) 65-66-68-72.
272 Scott ARNOLD (AUS) 70-68-67-67, CHOI Ho-sung (KOR) 66-69-69-68, Udorn DUANGDECHA (THA) 70-65-68-69, David McKENZIE (AUS) 65-66-70-71.
273 Pawin INGKHAPRADIT (THA) 70-66-72-65, Kenichi KUBOYA (JPN) 71-66-70-66, Michael WRIGHT (AUS) 70-69-67-67, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 70-70-66-67, Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 66-70-69-68, Peter O'MALLEY (AUS) 70-70-65-68, Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 68-64-72-69, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 66-63-72-72.
274 KIM Hyung-tae (KOR) 64-73-69-68, David HORSEY (ENG) 70-69-67-68, Terry PILKADARIS (AUS) 68-71-66-69, CHOI Jin-ho (KOR) 66-66-72-70, Gareth PADDISON (NZL) 70-67-67-70.
275 Richard FINCH (ENG) 66-72-69-68, Jamie ARNOLD (AUS) 71-69-67-68, CHOI Joon-woo (KOR) 70-64-72-69, PARK Sang-hyun (KOR) 69-67-70-69, Gerald ROSALES (PHI) 69-69-68-69, Matthew MILLAR (AUS) 71-67-67-70, Nick CULLEN (AUS) 65-72-67-71, Boonchu RUANGKIT (THA) 69-66-67-73.
276 Ryan HALLER (AUS) 70-68-70-68, KIM Do-hoon 753 (KOR) 66-72-70-68, Chinnarat PHADUNGSIL (THA) 71-68-69-68, LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 65-70-70-71, Marcus CAIN (AUS) 72-66-67-71.
277 Sutijet KOORATANAPISAN (THA) 71-66-74-66, Andre STOLZ (AUS) 70-70-70-67, HWANG In-choon (KOR) 66-69-73-69, Scott STRANGE (AUS) 68-68-72-69, Anthony SUMMERS (AUS) 74-64-70-69, Jason NORRIS (AUS) 72-66-67-72, Rohan BLIZARD (AUS) 67-65-71-74.
278 LEE Sang-hee (KOR) 66-70-72-70, KIM Dae-hyun (KOR) 72-67-68-71, PARK Hyo-won (KOR) 69-67-70-72, Matthew GRIFFIN (AUS) 72-66-68-72, Pavit TANGKAMOLPRASERT (THA) 69-70-65-74.
279 Craig HANCOCK (AUS) 66-74-70-69, Natipong SRITHONG (am, THA) 65-75-70-69, Brent McCULLOUGH (AUS) 67-69-72-71, Simon YATES (SCO) 69-71-68-71, PARK Eun-shin (KOR) 69-67-71-72, ZHANG Xin-jun (CHN) 69-70-68-72, Adam CRAWFORD (AUS) 70-70-67-72.
280 HAN Ren (CHN) 68-70-73-69, Yasumasa SUZUKI (JPN) 73-65-71-71.
281 WU Wei-huang (CHN) 67-71-74-69, Stephen LEANEY (AUS) 68-69-74-70, Douglas HOLLOWAY (NZL) 68-71-72-70, Stephen DARTNALL (AUS) 69-67-70-75.
282 Vuttipong PUANGKAEW (THA) 71-66-75-70, OUYANG Zheng (CHN) 72-68-71-71, Rory HIE (INA) 71-68-67-76.
283 Thanyakon KHRONGPHA (THA) 70-70-73-70, Varut CHOMCHALAM (THA) 69-71-71-72, LEE Jin-won (KOR) 70-67-73-73, Poom SAKSANSIN (am, THA) 68-72-70-73, LI Hao-tong (CHN) 70-68-70-75.
287 KIM Byung-jun (KOR) 67-73-74-73, HUANG Wen-yi (CHN) 69-70-74-74.
288 SU Dong (CHN) 68-72-74-74, Nicholas FUNG (MAS) 66-73-74-75.
289 SEO Jeoung-min (KOR) 69-68-76-76.
290 Tawan PHONGPHUN (am, THA) 72-68-78-72, SUNG Mao-chang (TPE) 71-68-76-75.
Labels: PRO GOLF
posted by Colin |
See story on its own page | Sunday, August 12, 2012
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