![\"kiradechwinsmalaysianopen\"](\"images\/golf\/kiradech%20leads%20at%20malaysian%20open.jpg\")
Kuala Lumpur: India’s Jeev Milkha Singh carded a score of four-under-par 68 to finish tied 17th at the weather-shortened Maybank Malaysian Open here on Sunday. Meanwhile, Thailand\u2019s Kiradech Aphibarnrat completed a sensational wire-to-wire victory when he overcame a host of stars with a gutsy performance.<\/p>\n
The big-hitting 23-year-old held his nerve for a battling two-under-par 70 to lift his second Asian Tour title by one-shot from Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari of Italy, who signed off with a 67, at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.\n<\/p>\n
Anders Hansen of Denmark shot a 66 to finish two shots back while 2011 Masters champion Charl Schwartzel of South Africa settled for tied fourth position following a 71 in the US$2.75 million championship sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour.<\/p>\n
Kiradech, who is the fourth Thai after Thongchai Jaidee, Thaworn Wiratchant and Chapchai Nirat to win a co-sanctioned tournament, said: \u201cI\u2019m so happy this week. I\u2019m proud of myself and for my family. I almost won here a few years ago (2010) and finally I made it. I\u2019m so happy.<\/p>\n
With a winner\u2019s cheque of US$458,330, Kiradech jumped to the top of the Asian Tour\u2019s Order of Merit with his season\u2019s haul of US$594,230.<\/p>\n
The burly Thai, dubbed Asia\u2019s John Daly due to his physique and style of play, had to overcome tiredness because of a thyroid problem and four days of weather disruptions to prevail at the Maybank Malaysian Open which was reduced into a three-round tournament.<\/p>\n
He led by one shot through 15 holes of the third and final round when play was suspended for two hours because of a lightning storm and came back out shaking at the prospects of winning his career\u2019s biggest title yet.<\/p>\n
He birdied the 16th hole upon the resumption of play from four feet to open up a two-shot advantage and then enjoyed a stroke of fortune when his approach into the 17th green ended just a few feet from the water hazard. After leaving his chip some 15 feet short of the flag, Kiradech drained his par putt and celebrated with a clenched fist.<\/p>\n
Playing it safe with an iron off the tee on the last, a closing bogey did not matter as his three-day total of 13-under-par 203 was one clear of Molinari.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter I made birdie on 16, I knew I had a chance to win. But in golf, you can\u2019t say you can win when you\u2019re not finished. I was lucky my ball was still safe (on 17). If it rolled into the hazard, it would be tough to win. But I concentrated hard on 18. I\u2019ve played here for about 20 times, and on 18, I think I\u2019ve birdied it more than 10 times. Bogey was so tough but it was good enough to win,\u201d said a beaming Kiradech<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the suspension, I couldn\u2019t eat anything. I was so excited. When I walked out, everything was shaking, even my voice. My caddie told me to just concentrate, just two more holes. I\u2019m lucky that I played only 54 holes. Otherwise, I am so tired due to the weather and the golf course.\u201d<\/p>\n
Molinari, who was getting ready to warm up for a possible play-off, was disappointed he only made par at the closing 18th hole after a wayward drive. \u201cI felt if I birdied the last I might have won outright because it puts a lot of pressure on the guy coming up behind,\u201d said the Italian.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s mixed emotions because I\u2019m very happy to have a good week for the first time in a long time. The swing changes (with new coach Sean Foley) are starting to pay off which is surprising because I thought it would take a lot longer. But I\u2019m disappointed because I had a lot of chances on the back nine. The 18th is only the second fairway I missed all day which is very disappointing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schwartzel, playing in the last group with Kiradech, rued the missed opportunity to emulate countryman Louis Oosthuizen, who won the Maybank Malaysian Open last season. \u201cIt was disappointing. It\u2019s a hard week with being on and off the course the whole time. It\u2019s difficult to find any rhythm. I feel like I swung the club pretty well, but I didn\u2019t play that well today,\u201d said the South African, who was searching for his second title in Asia after winning the Thailand Golf Championship last December.<\/p>\n
\u201cI was hitting terrible iron shots from the middle of the fairways. That\u2019s my strength. For some reason I was hitting short irons all over the shop. What can I do? Kiradech did well. I would\u2019ve liked to have applied a bit more pressure on him.\u201d<\/p>\n
China\u2019s Wu Ashun was the next best Asian in tied 11th place on 208 after closing with a 73 while Malaysian amateur Gavin Green enjoyed a creditable equal 22nd place finish after a closing 69 fir a 210 total.<\/p>\n
Scores after round 3 of the Maybank Malaysian Open being played at the par 72, 6967 Yards Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club course (a- denotes amateur):<\/strong><\/p>\n 203 – Kiradech APHIBARNRAT (THA) 65-68-70.<\/p>\n 204 – Edoardo MOLINARI (ITA) 66-71-67.<\/p>\n 205 – Anders HANSEN (DEN) 66-73-66.<\/p>\n 206 – Victor DUBUISSON (FRA) 67-69-70, Charl SCHWARTZEL (RSA) 67-68-71.<\/p>\n 207 – Pablo LARRAZABAL (ESP) 69-70-68, Mark FOSTER (ENG) 69-69-69, Alexander NOREN (SWE) 69-68-70, David HOWELL (ENG) 69-68-70, Padraig HARRINGTON (IRL) 69-68-70.<\/p>\n 208 – Thomas AIKEN (RSA) 71-71-66, Joonas GRANBERG (FIN) 71-68-69, Peter LAWRIE (IRL) 68-69-71, Tommy FLEETWOOD (ENG) 70-66-72, Gregory BOURDY (FRA) 66-69-73, WU Ashun (CHN) 67-68-73.<\/p>\n 209 – Jeev Milkha SINGH (IND) 71-70-68, Mikko ILONEN (FIN) 70-70-69, Matteo MANASSERO (ITA) 69-71-69, Lee SLATTERY (ENG) 68-70-71, Scott JAMIESON (SCO) 66-72-71.<\/p>\n 210 – Gavin GREEN (am, MAS) 73-68-69, Joost LUITEN (NED) 69-71-70, Shiv KAPUR (IND) 72-71-67, Rafa CABRERA-BELLO (ESP) 72-67-71, LIANG Wen-chong (CHN) 70-68-72, Stephen GALLACHER (SCO) 71-73-66.<\/p>\n 211 – Ignacio GARRIDO (ESP) 70-71-70, Alvaro QUIROS (ESP) 75-67-69, Alastair FORSYTH (SCO) 69-70-72, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 68-71-72, Jbe KRUGER (RSA) 73-71-67.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The big-hitting 23-year-old held his nerve for a battling two-under-par 70 to lift his second Asian Tour title by one-shot from Ryder Cup star Edoardo Molinari of Italy, who signed off with a 67, at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":true,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[53],"tags":[8394,6293,147,8393,8392],"class_list":["post-13930","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-latest","tag-anders-hansen","tag-indian-sports-news-network","tag-jeev-milkha-singh","tag-kiradech-aphibarnat","tag-maybank-malysian-open"],"yoast_head":"\nKuala Lumpur: India’s Jeev Milkha Singh carded a score of four-under-par 68 to finish tied 17th at the weather-shortened Maybank Malaysian Open here on Sunday. Meanwhile, Thailand\u2019s Kiradech Aphibarnrat completed a sensational wire-to-wire victory when he overcame a host of stars with a gutsy performance.<\/p>\n