Prayad, almost 51, wins Singapore Open

 

Sentosa, Singapore, January 22: Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng received his early birthday present when he eclipsed his younger rivals with a final round four-under-par 67 to lift his 10^th Asian Tour title at the SMBC Singapore Open on Sunday.

 

The Thai turns 51 in eight days and with the iconic Singapore showpiece celebrating its 51^st edition this year, it was perhaps appropriate its next winner would also be born in the year the event was inaugurated.

 

Prayad’s closing birdie on 18 proved decisive as it gave him a one-shot advantage and also the clubhouse lead while the rest of the field were still out at the Sentosa Golf Club trying to pip him to the title.

 

Prayad was eventually crowned the newest SMBC Singapore Open champion after a two-hour wait as no one in the chasing pack was able to surmount their challenge and better his four-day total of nine-under-par 275.

 

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai, South Africa’s Jbe Kruger, Philippines Juvic Pagunsan and defending champion Younghan Song of South Korea all had their chances to pip or at least force a play-off with Prayad but that crucial putt in their closing holes simply eluded all of them.

 

The quartet all finished one shot back of Prayad and shared second place with their 276 total. World number seven Adam Scott had a round to forget as he signed off with a 74 to finish tied for ninth while Singapore’s Quincy Quek emerged as the best placed Singaporean in tied-26^th place.

 

 Leading Scores after round 4 of the SMBC Singapore Open being played at the par 71, 7398 Yards Sentosa GC course (am - denotes amateur):

275 - Prayad MARKSAENG (THA) 71-69-68-67.

276 - Phachara KHONGWATMAI (THA) 66-72-67-71, Juvic PAGUNSAN (PHI) 71-66-69-70, Jbe KRUGER (SAf) 68-69-70-69, Younghan SONG (SKOR) 68-69-70-69.

277 - Sanghyun PARK (SKOR) 69-71-67-70, Rikuya HOSHINO (JPN) 71-70-69-67, Satoshi KODAIRA (JPN) 65-72-69-71.

278 - Hideto TANIHARA (JPN) 65-72-69-72, Adam SCOTT (AUS) 68-67-69-74.

279 - Yuki INAMORI (JPN) 67-74-67-71, Tirawat KAEWSIRIBANDIT (THA) 70-69-66-74, Sergio GARCIA (SPA) 71A(BRA) 71-70-69-70, Changwoo LEE (SKOR) 72-68-69-71, Sungjae IM (SKOR) 69-73-69-69, Gaganjeet BHULLAR (IND) 68-69-71-72, Seungsu HAN (USA) 66-67-72-75.