CHIANG MAI : An ecstatic Thammanoon Sriroj broke a long win drought with a thrilling comeback victory in the Singha Chiangmai Open on the Asean PGA Tour yesterday.
An eagle and two birdies in a four-hole stretch on the back nine spurred Thammanoon to a closing 66 for a four-round total of 20-under 264 and a two-shot victory over fellow Thai Prayad Marksaeng, who faltered down the stretch.
Prayad, a multiple winner on home soil this season, cruised to a three-shot lead as early as the fourth hole but several uncharacteristic mistakes cost him dear in the closing stages as he slipped to a 68 at Mae Jo Golf Club & Resort.
Kwanchai Tannin, winner of the Singha Pattaya Open on the Asean PGA Tour in April, finished in third place _ five behind Thammanoon _ after a brilliant seven-under 64.
Overnight leader Atthaphon Sriboonkaew, who is still suffering from severe bruising after being hit by a motorbike in Bangkok last month, struggled to a 73 and ended fourth.
Thammanoon's last big win was the 2004 Tianjin Open in China and he was delighted to be back in the winners circle.
"I am very, very happy to have won," said Thammanoon, who was showered with water by fellow players on the 18th green. "It has been such a long time since my last victory _ 2004 was the last time I won an international event.
"I feel like everything is coming back and I hope now I can go on and win many more events."
Thammanoon, a five-time winner on the Asian Tour before his game deserted him, was in a determined mood this week and refused to think of losing even after Prayad made a blistering start with a tap-in birdie at the first hole, an eagle two at the 318-yard second and a birdie at the fourth to open a three-shot lead.
"I kept trying to play good golf and not make bogeys," he said. "I knew there would be opportunities to make birdies in the final holes."
An eagle on the 13th hole, where he holed a monster putt, and back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 justified his optimism but he was surprised at the help given to him by Prayad, who found water from the middle of the fairway on the 14th and took two shots to get out of a greenside bunker on the par-three 16th.
"It was really surprising that Prayad dropped shots at those holes after mistakes," said Thammanoon.
"I have not seen him hit poor shots like that in 10 years."
Prayad put the loss down to bad luck and his uneasiness on wet fairways.
"On 14 I was on a wet bit of fairway and hit the ball straight up in the air," said Prayad, who won the Singha Esan Open on the Asean PGA Tour and OneAsia's Thailand Open earlier in the year.
"And my ball was plugged in the sand on the 16th. Also, I had a bit of bad luck with my ball hitting divots. It was not my day but congratulations to Thammanoon, he played well."
Schoolboy amateur Phachara Khongwatmai, who set a new world record by winning the Singha Hua Hin Open last month aged just 14 years, two months and 18 days, finished in 32nd spot after a closing two-under 69.
LEADING FINAL ROUND SCORES
(All Thailand)
264 _ Thammanoon Sriroj 64-65-69-66
266 _ Prayad Marksaeng 65-65-68-68
269 _ Kwanchai Tannin 67-70-68-64
270 _ Atthaphon Sriboonkaew 64-66-67-73