Suradit stays cool to win
Tamsui - Thailand’s Suradit Yongcharoenchai pocketed his career’s biggest prize cheque and win when he held on for a one-shot victory after his closest rivals failed to mount a challenge at the Mercuries Taiwan Masters on Sunday.
Suradit, who started his final round at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club one shot back of overnight leaders, Ajeetesh Sandhu of India and Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena, closed with a two-under-par 70 to clinch his breakthrough on the Asian Tour where he made his debut as a 17-year-old in 2015.
Suradit started well with a birdie on his third hole but gave two shots back with a double-bogey six on the next hole. The Thai was quick to make amends when he charged to the turn with three birdies in his next four holes.
But after making another birdie on 13, he dropped a shot on 14 before making four straight pars to sign off with a four-day total of 10-under-par 278.
The Thai was left to wait for close to 30 minutes where he watched the final group in action from the sidelines.
‘I played without any pressure today. I was very sharp with my short game and I guess that helped. But I’m proud with how I played today because it’s not easy especially against a quality field,” said Suradit who turned professional at the young age of 17.
“I did not start off well as I double bogeyed the fourth hole but luckily I managed to make three birdies after that on my front nine. I birdied 13 but bogeyed the next hole. At that point, I was not really looking at the leaderboard but I was just telling myself to play my own game and whatever happens will happen.
Miguel had a good chance to win but unfortunately, he bogeyed his last two holes,” added the Thai young gun whose earlier career-best finishes on the Asian Tour came at the Indonesian Masters and TAKE Solution Masters in 2016 and 2018 respectively where he finished tied-second on both occasions.
“I’m an Asian Tour winner now and it feels really good to know that. I’ve been working hard all these years and I’m glad I’ve been finally rewarded with this win today. I know today’s victory will lead to more opportunities and better things to come for me,” he added.
The Thai enjoyed his best-ever Asian Tour season in 2018, finishing 34th on the Order of Merit with US$134,246 in earnings and four top-10 finishes.
While Sandhu signed off with a birdie, a costly double-bogey on 16 effectively ruined his chances of clinching his second Asian Tour title.
Tabuena had the best chance to force a play-off with Suradit on 18 but his approach landed in the bunker from where he could not get his ball onto the green, resulting in a bogey, which also confirmed Suradit’s entry into the winner’s circle for the first time.
