BANGKOK: Prayad Marksaeng became only the third Thai to win his country's national championship with a two-stroke victory in the $1 million Thailand Open at the Thana City Golf and Sports Club yesterday.
Prayad's rounds of 68, 67, 65 and 64 left him with a 24 under-par total of 264 to claim the winner's purse of $180,000 and the King's Trophy donated by the country's monarch.
"This means so much to me," Prayad said moments after signing his scorecard. "Yes I cried a bit... I am happy the King's Trophy will stay in Thailand," according to a statement by organizers.
Prayad took a celebratory jump into the lake adjoining the 18th green after the prize presentation.
Australian Scott Strange (67), who had pushed Prayad all the way, bogeyed on the last to leave him two strokes adrift.
Countryman Nick Cullen (65) was a shot further behind while six players shared fourth place — including defending champion Chris Wood (70).
Overnight leader Lucas Lee of Brazil struggled to get his round together and had to settle for a share of 12th after carding a 73, while three-time major winner Padraig Harrington (66) could not recover from a disastrous third-round 75 and finished at 14 under.
Only two other Thais have won the national open — Suthep Meesawat (1991) and Boonchu Ruangkit (1992, 2004).
Two shots off the pace overnight and starting in the second last group of the day, Prayad, 47, had a birdie-birdie-birdie start — although a bogey on the easy par-five fifth briefly halted his progression.
Four birdies in-a-row straddling the turn put him back in the driver's seat, and an audacious chip-in birdie from the fringe on the 16th meant the chasing pack had it all to do.
Aiken wins Avantha Masters
In Greater Noida, India,Thomas Aiken of South Africa led from start to finish on the final day to win the $2.3 million Avantha Masters by three shots yesterday.
Aiken, who began the last round with a three-stroke lead, scored a flawless five-under 67 and sealed his second win on the European Tour with a birdie at the 18th hole.
The 29-year-old from Johannesburg finished with an overall score of 23-under 265, three shots ahead of local boy Gaganjeet Bhullar at the Greg Norman-designed par-72 Jaypee Greens outside New Delhi.
Aiken, who won the Open de Espana in 2011, earned 300,000 euros (approximately $392,000) for his efforts that followed compatriot Jbe Kruger's triumph in the Avantha Masters last year.
Bhullar, who was six shots behind the leader at the start, fired an eight-under 64 to come in at 268, ending his campaign with three birdies in the last five holes to keep the pressure on Aiken.
Bhullar finished two strokes ahead of third-placed Liang Wenchong of China, who had overcome a double-bogey on the sixth with a spectacular hole-in-one on the par-three seventh.
"It's a big relief to win because the others played unbelievable golf," said Aiken. "There was no breathing space the whole day with Gaganjeet having so many birdies towards the end.
"It was no walk in the park, but I think I played the par-fives well. This has been a fantastic week in India and ended just the way I wanted it to."
Aiken was the sixth South African to win a European tour events this year following the success of Charl Schwartzel at the Alfred Dunhill championships, Louis Oosthuizen (Volvo Golf Champions), Richard Sterne (Johannesburg Open), Darren Fichardt (Africa Open) and Dawie Van der Walt (Tshwane Open).
Bhullar, cheered on by some 500 Indian fans, birdied the first three holes, had an eagle on the fifth before a spectacular finish saw him birdie three of the last five holes.
"After a few weeks, no one will remember that I came second. Everyone will only talk of Thomas," said the 24-year-old. "But the important thing is that my game has improved.
"This tournament was like a putting competition. Everyone was hitting the ball long, it all depended on how you putted. I thought Thomas would make a mistake somewhere, but he played solidly the last two days."
Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, who was in the last group with Aiken and Liang, finished fourth on 271.
India's richest golf event was co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.
Emotional Prayad claims Thailand Open
Emotional Prayad claims Thailand Open
Defending champ Andreeva reaches last 8 of Dubai Tennis Championships
- Top seed Elena Rybakina retires ill as Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic progresses to quarterfinals
- Second seed Amanda Anisimova secures passage to last 8 with 70-minute win
DUBAI: Defending champion Mirra Andreeva was among a raft of top seeds that moved menacingly into striking position at this week’s Dubai Duty Free Tennis Championships, with a star-studded quarterfinal lineup setting up a thrilling denouement to the WTA 1000 event.
With nine seeded players swelling the competition in today’s round of 16, and only two matches pitting seed against seed, five daylight matches ultimately saw most fancied favorites progress to the quarterfinals.
In the opening match on Centre Court, Amanda Anisimova, the tournament’s second seed and the World No. 6, took only 70 minutes to dispose of Indonesian wildcard Janice Tjen 6-1, 6-3, in what was the reigning Wimbledon champion’s first match of the tournament.
After receiving a bye in the round of 64, Anisimova was subsequently handed a walkover in the round of 32 when Barbora Krejcikova withdrew due to injury. The well-rested American’s reward for her ruthless dismantling of Tjen is a quarterfinal clash with fifth seed Mirra Andreeva, who edged out Romania’s Jaqueline Cristian 7-5, 6-3, in the second match on Centre Court.
Similarly, Andreeva’s win came a mere 24 hours after Daria Kasatkina’s withdrawal handed the fifth seed a second round walkover — on top of her first round bye — into the round of 32. Ahead of their last eight showdown, Andreeva said: “It’s the second time it ever happened to me, that the girl withdrew before the match. I had one more day of practice, but I feel like it’s kind of breaking the rhythm of your play a little bit.
“I feel like I was pretty far from perfect today, from how I want to play, so I’m just really happy that I stayed focused and tried to reset for every single point, I’m super happy with that. I’m sure tomorrow is going to be better because I’m going to get into this rhythm.”
Now only three matches away from defending her Dubai title — which would make the Russian the first back-to-back winner since Elina Svitolina in 2018 — Andreeva added: “I know I’m a defending champion, but I have so many nice and great memories from Dubai from last year. I feel all the support from the people. And honestly, it’s insane because I feel so much more motivation here than any tournament, so I’m just so excited to try and defend my title. I’m going to give it all tomorrow and we’ll see how it’s going to go.”
The final daylight match on Centre Court saw top seed Elena Rybakina, the world No. 3, retire during her match with Croatia’s Antonia Ruzic. Despite surrendering six inches in height and reach to the two-time Grand Slam winner, Ruzic showed few signs of fatigue after navigating two punishing three-set matches over the past two days.
After losing a topsy-turvy first set where she broke Rybakina in the very first game, Ruzic, ranked 64 places below her opponent, bravely battled back to clinch the second set 6-4. Then, only seconds into the decider, and moments after Ruzic broke Rybakina again to go 1-0 up, Rybakina’s race was run — the 26-year-old retiring due to illness.
On New Court 1, last year’s defeated finalist, Dane Clara Tauson, maintained her confident form with a comprehensive 6-4, 6-2 victory over Magda Linette. Having eliminated eighth seed Ekaterina Alexandrova in the round of 32, the Pole had no answer to the impressive Tauson, who will face her third American opponent in four matches in Thursday’s quarterfinal.
Her last eight opponent was decided in the second match on Dubai Tennis Stadium’s newest court, which saw an all-American clash between rising star and 16th seed Iva Jovic, and 2024 US Open finalist Jessica Pegula, the fourth seed.
After a tight opening set, the seasoned Pegula upped the ante and eventually overpowered her younger rival 6-4, 6-2. The Pegula-Tauson quarterfinal looks delicately balanced, with both players yet to drop a set in Dubai this year.
