Penang, Malaysia: Local stalwart Danny Chia cruised to a six-shot victory after shooting a closing seven-under-par 65 at the PGM Bukit Jawi Championship.
The 42-year-old claimed his third Asian Development Tour (ADT) title with a 21-under-par 267 total at the RM200,000 (about US$50,000) event at the Bukit Jawi Golf Resort.
Casey O’Toole of the United States replaced Hsieh Chi-hsien of Chinese Taipei as the new ADT Order of Merit leader after settling for his second runner-up finish this season following a 69.
Sean Riordan of New Zealand matched the low round of 65 to finish third on 274 while Thailand’s Itthipat Buranatanyarat ended his campaign in fourth place after shooting a 71.
Chia eagled the sixth hole from the edge of the green to turn in 31. He picked up another eagle on 10 and sealed a comfortable win with a birdie on 17 which erased his only dropped shot of the day on hole 15.
“It is a great feeling to win again. I kept it together because at the start of the week I knew I needed to win to get some Official World Golf Ranking points to qualify for the CIMB Classic. I’m glad I achieved my goal,” said Chia.
The victory will be a huge confidence boost for the Malaysian who heads to the Asia-Pacific Open Diamond Cup next week to resume the second half of the Asian Tour season.
“I played so well on my first six holes. My approach shots landed close to the pin but I missed a couple of putts. Overall, it was a good day and I’m looking forward to playing on the Asian Tour next week,” he said.