Prayad pips young rival to PGA season-opener
Veteran Prayad Marksaeng completed a start-to-finish victory to pip young rival Thanyakorn Krongpha to the Bt2 million Singha SAT Lamphun championship at the Gassan Legacy Golf Club in Lamphun on Saturday.
The 52-year-old carded a closing 69 for a four-round total of 21 under-par-259 that gave him the Thai PGA Tour season-opener by four strokes.
Thanyakorn chased down his more experienced opponent all day and got within two shots after 13 holes but his chance slipped away after hitting two bogeys on the 15th and 17th.
“After he made that error on the 15th, it was over for him. Even though I bogeyed the next hole I was confident I was going to win,” said the Hua Hin-based Prayad.
“As not many top Thai players coming to this tournament, only a few including me stood a great shot at winning. Normally there ar so many on the local tours that I lose count,” added Prayad, who ended his long Thai PGA Tour title drought with victory in Nakhon Nayok in 2016. He also picked up a winner’s cheque for Bt240,000.
Khon Kaen-born Thanyakorn, with a final 68, was runner-up with a total 17 under-par-263 that earned him prize money of Bt132,000.
Amateur Witchayanon Chothirunnrungrueng was alone in third after a final-round 68 gave him a total 15 under-par-265
Prayad and the country’s other leading players will next compete in Thursday’s Bt5 million Singha Masters, an All Thailand Golf Tour event, in Chiang Rai.
