South Korea’s Mo Joong-kyung claimed a three shot victory at the Singha Thailand PGA Championship yesterday, ending a 12-year title drought on the Asian Tour.
He held off challenges from Filipino Juvic Pagunsan and local hero Prayad Marksaeng with a superb final round seven-under 65 to claim the US$47,550 first prize.
But Mo had to fight for his prize as Pagusan — with whom he shared the overnight lead — battled brilliantly on the back nine to stay hot on his heels before settling for second following a 68.
In-form Prayad, chasing a third victory this month, got to within two shots of the lead, but ran out of holes to finish with a 66 to share third place with Australia’s David Gleeson, who charged up the leaderboard with a blistering 64.
“This is a very special moment for me,” said Mo, who lifted his second Asian Tour title with a 21-under 267 total. “The first time I won in Guam in 1996, that got me going in my career and I won four times back home after that. But winning in Asia again after 12 long years is very special.”
Mo got to the turn in 33 to open up a two shot advantage, but a bogey on the 10th kept the chasing pack in with a chance. It was exhibition golf as Mo and Pagunsan traded three straight birdies from the 11th to the 14th.
The lead was back to two after Mo knocked in a 10 foot birdie on 15. After Pagunsan ran his 25 foot eagle attempt well past the pin on 18, Mo birdied it and celebrated with a clenched fist.
Pagunsan said: “I played good, but Mo putted so well, he made nearly everything. There was no doubt he was the deserving winner. I threw everything at him and kept going at him, but he was just too good.”
Malaysia’s Ben Leong settled for fifth after a final round 69, while Thailand’s Prom Meesawat was sixth after carding a 67.
The Asian Tour will take a break for a month before resuming with the Selangor Masters in Malaysia in early August.
BRITISH OPEN
AFP, LONDON
Ryder Cup stars Darren Clarke, Paul McGinley and Jose Maria Olazabal will be among 120 players at Sunningdale today battling it out for just 12 last-gasp slots for next month’s British Open.
Two-times Masters winner Olazabal will be playing his first competitive golf since missing the halfway at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth five weeks ago.
He missed last year’s Open at Carnoustie with knee trouble, was out for seven months over the winter because of rheumatism and since his return in March has been battling fatigue.
Clarke and McGinley would have avoided the qualifier with a top-three finish in the French Open, but now face this route of trying to keep their Open runs going.
Asian Open champion Clarke, runner-up to Justin Leonard in 1997 and third behind David Duval in 2001, has played every championship since failing to qualify as an amateur in 1990.
McGinley, second after the opening round last year, last missed out in 1995.
Also in the field are Thomas Bjorn, who came close to winning at Sandwich in 2003, last July’s leading amateur Rory McIlroy and France’s Thomas Levet, beaten only at the fifth hole of a play-off by Ernie Els at Muirfield in 2002.
A further 12 spots are on offer in America and the 120 players there include Jesper Parnevik, twice a runner-up, Australian Steve Elkington, who was in the same play-off as Els and Levet, and Davis Love.
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