Westwood a winner again at Amata
Play
Englishman gains as Fraser, Kaymer self-destruct
Lee Westwood won his second Thailand Golf Championship trophy in dramatic fashion with a one-stroke victory over Marcus Fraser and crowd favourite Martin Kaymer at the Amata Spring Country Club yesterday.
The former world No 1, now ranked 43rd, fired a final round 5-under 67 for an 8-under 280 and sat and watched co-leaders Kaymer and Fraser bogey the 17th and 18th holes respectively that handed him the win.
Westwood got off to a bad start with back-to-back bogeys before getting his momentum back by firing seven birdies for a three-way lead with Fraser and Kaymer.
“The one in 2011 [championship win], I had a pretty good lead, but this is obviously very special,” said Westwood, an eight-time Asian Tour winner. “It was a tight day out there. I didn't get off to the best of starts … so I really gave myself a lot of work to do.
“But after that I hit lots of good shots, played a lot of good golf, and hit it close, made some nice putts when I needed to,” added the Englishman who returned to Florida last night US$180,000 richer.
“This is my last event of the year so it’s nice to finish with a win and go into Christmas and start the new year with some confidence. I know what I’ve got to work on and I’ll be doing that over the next six weeks. I will try to pick up from where I left off here.”
Fraser, who started the round with a two-shot advantage, saw his chance of forcing a play-off slip away after his seven-foot par-putt on the finishing hole rolled slightly away from the hole.
He had to be content with a 70 and a four-day total of 7-under 281 and a runner-up finish with two-time Major winner Kaymer, who had a final-round 68.
Fraser, who won the Ballentine’s Championship in 2010, is still waiting for another victory. However, the Australian’s second-place finish earned him a wildcard into the British Open.
“That’s why I came here to try and get one of those spots at the Open at St Andrews next year. So it’s great, I’m excited,” he said.
“I played there [St Andrews] in 2005, the first major I ever played, and was jumping out of my skin on the first tee. But hopefully I will be a bit calmer next year,” added Fraser, who received US$86,500 for the runner-up finish.
Alone in fourth place was England’s Tommy Fleetwood, who carded a 5-under 283. Australian Scott Hend, with a 4-under 284, finished alone in fifth place. They earned British Open berths.
Thongchai Jaidee finally had a top 10 finish in his home tournament, firing a 68 and an overall three-under-par 285, which put him at joint sixth along with American Jonathan Moore and India’s Anirban Lahiri.
Moore and Lahiri also secured British Open spots. Thongchai has already qualified.
“Overall I played quite well except on Saturday. To finish with 68 and at joint sixth on a tough course like this is not bad at all as there are several good players in this tournament,” said Thongchai, who felt that this is by far his best year as a professional player.
“I reached my career highest [ranking] of 33rd in the world in July and will finish the year in the top 50, which is not bad for my age. I will be eligible to play in the British Open and the PGA Championship next year.
“I will have a four-week break and will work on my fitness to get ready for the next season, with me mostly playing on the European Tour,” the world No. 42 added.
Last year’s Thailand Championship winner Garcia Garcia made some remarkable putts on the back nine, drilling seven birdies to sign off with a 69 for a total 2-under 286 for lone ninth.
A stroke behind in 10th was Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who carded a 68, for a 1-under 287, followed by Thanyakon Khrongpha, who finished with 69 for a 288.
World No. 4 and the two-time Augusta Masters champion Bubba Watson came joint 25th after 292.
American Davis Lipsky, despite finishing at 6-over 294, will end the year as the No 1 player on the Asian Tour Order of Merit as his total prize money of US$713,901 is too much for the second-ranked Lahiri, with US$602,833, to catch up regardless of the results from the last event in Dubai next week.
Final round scores
280 – Lee Westwood (ENG) 70-71-72-67
281 – Marcus Fraser (AUS) 69-72-70-70, Martin Kaymer (GER) 71-72-70-68
283 – Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 71-69-73-70
284 – Scott Hend (AUS) 70-74-71-69
285 – Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 72-71-74-68, Jonathan Moore (USA) 71-71-72-71, Anirban Lahiri (IND) 71-73-68-73
286 – Sergio Garcia (ESP) 71-75-71-69
287 – Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA) 76-72-71-68, Paul Peterson (USA) 71-72-75-69 , Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 77-69-72-69
288 – Thanyakon Khrongpha (THA) 69-77-73-69, Bernd Wiesberger (AUT) 76-74-68-70, Charlie Wi (KOR) 74-72-71-71
289 – Kodai Ichihara (JPN) 78-68-72-71, Daisuke Kataoka (JPN) 74-73-71-71
Selected scores:
292 – Bubba Watson (USA) 76-70-77-69
297 – Darren Clarke (NIR) 75-75-73-74
