Jakarta: Thailand\u2019s Pavit Tangkamolprasert savoured a memorable week at the inaugural Linc Group Jakarta Invitational when he shot a one-under-par 70 to claim a maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory on Saturday.<\/p>\n
American James Bowen, Malaysia\u2019s Iain Steel and Canadian Lindsay Renolds were also rewarded with 2014 Asian Tour cards after finishing inside the top-four of the final 2013 ADT Order of Merit, topped by Malaysia\u2019s Nicholas Fung, who had already secured his card through the Asian Tour\u2019s Order of Merit.<\/p>\n
Pavit, one of the most promising stars to emerge from Thailand, compiled a four-day total of nine-under-par 275 for a one-shot victory over Japan\u2019s Mitsuhiko Hashizume and joint overnight leader, George Gandranata of Indonesia. They closed with rounds of 68 and 71 respectively at the Jababeka Golf and Country Club.<\/p>\n
England\u2019s Grant Jackson, who needed a victory to break into top four on the ADT merit list, settled for fourth on 277 while Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei battled to a 69 to finish fifth at the US$60,000 Asian Development Tour (ADT) event, which is the season finale for the 2013 ADT schedule.<\/p>\n
Pavit, who turned professional in 2007, revelled in delight after clinching his first professional win outside of Thailand. The victory also moved him up to seventh on the final ADT rankings after winning US$10,500 and earning six Official World Golf Ranking points.<\/p>\n
\u201cI never thought I could win. It is my first professional win outside of Thailand. George played really well this week. I think I was just luckier than him. My three consecutive birdies in the front nine gave me an advantage,\u201d said the 24-year-old.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy game is good right now. I hope I can play well at the King\u2019s Cup Golf Hua Hin (on the Asian Tour) next week as well. If I can get a good finish, I would not have to go to Qualifying School. I\u2019m looking forward to it and we will see how it goes,\u201d added Pavit.<\/p>\n
Despite missing out on a win, Gandranata remained optimistic that his first career victory will come soon. This week\u2019s event has prepared him for the Asian Tour Qualifying School in Thailand next month.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a good week for me. This is my first time being in the lead on the ADT. I stuck to my plan all week. I only made three bogeys in total so I\u2019m happy with how I played. I could\u2019ve done a lot of things better but this would be a good experience for me,\u201d said the 27-year-old, who traded two birdies against two bogeys today.<\/p>\n
After a season long battle on the burgeoning ADT, Bowen, Steel and Renolds are relishing the opportunity of playing on the region\u2019s premier Tour.<\/p>\n
Bowen compiled a season\u2019s haul of US$39,824 to finish second on the Order of Merit and hopes the experience of playing on the ADT will prepare him for tough test against the Asian Tour stars in the new season.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe ADT has been a great stepping stone for me. I gained world ranking points and it helped put me on the world map as well. It has been great playing on the ADT in 2013. I\u2019m really excited now that I\u2019ve got my card. I can\u2019t wait to play on the Asian Tour,\u201d said Bowen, who claimed two victories on the ADT in 2013.<\/p>\n
Malaysia\u2019s Steel, who finished tied 33rd at the Linc Group Jakarta Invitational, was delighted to get his Asian Tour career back on track after losing his Tour card two seasons ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is a second chance for me. I feel really good getting back to where I belong after missing out on the card for two years. I\u2019m looking forward to get back on the Asian Tour. The ADT has been a great platform for me to sharpen my game,\u201d said Steel.<\/p>\n
Steel, who claimed two consecutive wins on the ADT in 2013, claimed third place on the Order of Merit with total earnings of US$37,135 while Renolds settled for fourth with US$35,975.<\/p>\n
It has been a nervous week for Renolds, who carded a final round 74 to tie for 25th position. He could have missed the Asian Tour card for the second consecutive year if Jackson had won this week.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a really close one for me. I am just glad I managed to obtain my card. The ADT has served as a platform for me to practice my game. I had a great experience playing on the ADT for the last two years,\u201d said the Canadian, who enjoyed a relatively good season with seven top-10 finishes to get to where he is on the merit list despite not claiming any wins.<\/p>\n
The ADT was launched in 2010 with five tournaments before growing to eight in 2011 and 13 in 2012. This week\u2019s final event will be the 16th leg of the season.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Jakarta: Thailand\u2019s Pavit Tangkamolprasert savoured a memorable week at the inaugural Linc Group Jakarta Invitational when he shot a one-under-par 70 to claim a maiden Asian Development Tour (ADT) victory on Saturday.<\/p>\n
American James Bowen, Malaysia\u2019s Iain Steel and Canadian Lindsay Renolds were also rewarded with 2014 Asian Tour cards after finishing inside the top-four of the final 2013 ADT Order of Merit, topped by Malaysia\u2019s Nicholas Fung, who had already secured his card through the Asian Tour\u2019s Order of Merit.<\/p>\n
Pavit, one of the most promising stars to emerge from Thailand, compiled a four-day total of nine-under-par 275 for a one-shot victory over Japan\u2019s Mitsuhiko Hashizume and joint overnight leader, George Gandranata of Indonesia. They closed with rounds of 68 and 71 respectively at the Jababeka Golf and Country Club.<\/p>\n
England\u2019s Grant Jackson, who needed a victory to break into top four on the ADT merit list, settled for fourth on 277 while Chan Shih-chang of Chinese Taipei battled to a 69 to finish fifth at the US$60,000 Asian Development Tour (ADT) event, which is the season finale for the 2013 ADT schedule.<\/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":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-18398","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-world-golf-news"],"yoast_head":"\n