Atwal falters, Terblanche wins

CHA-AM (THAILAND), DEC. 4. Star Alliance champion Arjun Atwal carded a poor one-under-par 71 on the final day on Sunday to slip down the leaderboard after having been on the heels of the leaders at the Thailand Open golf tournament.

Atwal, who was on the high after his back-to-back triumphs in the Hero Honda Masters in New Delhi and Star Alliance championship in Hong Kong, struggled with his putts to finish at a four around aggregate of 13-under-par 275.

The tournament was won by South Africa's Des Terblanche, who swept to the victory in the $200,000 event at Springfield Royal Country Club here.

Terblanche claimed his third Asian PGA title but first since 1997, after firing a five-under-par 67 to beat Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee by a shot.

Terblanche did not drop a shot in the final round and finished with an impressive four round winning total of 19-under- par 269 to earn $32,300.

Other Indians in the fray did no better as Wills Indian Open winner Jyoti Randhawa had a round of 69 for an aggregate of 278, and Amandeep Johl, who had been among the top ten after the cut was made on Friday, managed a par 72 for an aggregate of 280.

It was heartbreak for local golfer Thongchai, who was bidding to become the first Thai to win the national open in eight years as he carded a 68.

Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng, in with a 67, finished third a stroke further back. Korean Charlie Wi finished fourth, three behind Terblanche, while South African Nico van Rensburg and Mexico's Pablo del Olmo tied for fifth a stroke back. Del Olmo broke the course record with a nine-under-par 63.

The scores: 269 - Des Terblanche (RSA) (67, 65, 70, 67); 270 - Thongchai Jaidee (Tha) (66, 68, 68, 68); 271 - Prayad Marksaeng (Tha) (68, 69, 67, 67); 272 - Charlie Wi (Kor) (72, 67, 67, 66); 273 - Nico van Rensburg (Rsa) (72, 68, 67, 66), Pablo del Olmo (Mex) (71, 71, 68, 63); 275 - Arjun Atwal (Ind) (69, 67, 68, 71), Chang Tse-Peng (Twn) (74, 68, 68, 65), Hendrik Buhrmann (RSA) (72, 68, 65, 70); 276 - Robert Pactolerin (Phi) (75, 64, 66, 71), Simon Dyson (Eng) (69, 67, 72, 68), Scott Taylor (USA) (68, 70, 68, 70), Saneh Saengsui (Tha) (68, 71, 69, 68), Daisuke Maruyama (Jpn) (66, 72, 64, 74); 277 - Kyi Hla Han (Myn) (71, 66, 72, 68), Chawalit Plaphol (Tha) (67, 69, 72, 69), Yoshimitsu Fukuzawa (Jpn) (73, 69, 65, 70); 278 - Thaworn Wiratchant (Tha) (71, 67, 66, 74); Zaw Moe (Myn) (71, 68, 68,F 71), Soushi Tajima (Jpn) (69, 69, 70, 70), Jyoti Randhawa (Ind) (69, 70, 70, 69); 279 - Thammanoon Siroj (Tha) (71, 66, 71, 71), Rafael Ponce (Ecu) (69, 69, 71, 70), Charles Challen (Eng) (72, 69, 71, 67); Richard Kaplan (RSA) (73, 70, 66, 70), Yasunobu Kuramoto (Jpn) (73, 71, 68, 67), Ross Bain (Sco) (68, 74, 67, 70); 280 - Amandeep Johl (Ind) (68, 68, 72, 72), Alex Cejka (Ger) (72, 69, 68, 71), Soe Kyaw Naing (Myn) (72, 69, 71, 68).

- PTI

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