ASIAN GOLF INDUSTRY FEDERATION

Swedish Success for Terrific Thongchai

Thongchai Jaidee celebrates his sixth European Tour triumph. Picture by Getty Images.

Malmo, Sweden: Thongchai Jaidee overcame Victor Dubuisson and Stephen Gallacher in a sudden-death play-off to seal a dramatic victory at the Nordea Masters.

The Thai carded a closing 65 at PGA Sweden National, where a host of players – including world number two Henrik Stenson – saw their chances of victory come and go.

Having set the clubhouse mark at 16-under, Thongchai then had to wait as the last four groups made their way down the par-five last – with only Dubuisson and Gallacher able to reach his score.

On the first trip back down the 18th, Thongchai spun his third shot to three feet and, after seeing Dubuisson and Gallacher miss lengthy birdie putts, converted to seal a sixth European Tour title.

“I worked hard today,” said Thongchai. “I started with three birdies in a row, had another one on six, then a good comeback on 11 [where he made an eagle three].

“I was nervous the last few holes – 16, 17 and 18 are tough holes – but 16-under was good enough for a play-off.”

France’s Dubuisson would have won with a birdie on 18 in regulation play, but three-putted from just off the green.

Gallacher’s chance looked to have gone when he bogeyed the 17th from a greenside bunker, but he bravely converted from 20 feet at the next.

Stenson, playing in the final group with Eddie Pepperell, needed an eagle to win his national title for the first time, but pushed his second into trouble right of the green and eventually bogeyed.

“It was a disappointing last day,” the Swede, who lost a play-off for this event in 2005, said of his 71. “Apart from the first hole I got off to a good start and made a couple of birdies, but the bogey on the sixth was a momentum killer.

“It was one of those days when I didn’t quite get it going and missed a few chances and a couple of bogeys slipped onto the card too easily. You can’t afford that if you are going to win the tournament.

“I was still fighting and in with a chance on the last, but I just missed it in the wrong place. It left me in a bad spot.

“It would have been nice to win in front of home fans, but there will be more chances and there will be more chances to win other golf tournaments, so you can’t be too disappointed.”

Earlier Thongchai had followed his opening hat-trick of gains with a birdie form close range at the sixth. His only dropped shot of the day came at the seventh, but a lengthy eagle putt on 11 was followed by birdies on 14 and 15 – not that the former paratrooper felt he had done enough coming down the stretch.

“I thought 16-under would be second or third with the last hole being a par-five,” he added. “Then you never know in a play-off. A play-off was good for me as I finished early so I was very lucky.”

Asked about his tactics in the play-off, he continued: “I had a good drive, then I knew I couldn’t reach the green. I played a great shot as I knew the pin was very tough, so I played the hole really well.”

Gallacher, whose missed birdie putt in the play-off was similar to the one he had made at the same hole 30 minutes earlier, was still pleased with his week’s work despite failing to add to his win in Dubai earlier this year.

“I had a good week and I was delighted to get into the play-off,” he said. “I holed a lovely putt on the last after lipping out on both 16 and 17. Jaidee just hit a lovely shot there, or lovely three shots, on the last, which was playing really tough.”

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