Phuket, Thailand: Chinese-Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang prevailed after a gripping finish to win the US$1 million Blue Canyon Phuket Championship and become the first winner on the Asian Tour following a 20-month hiatus caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Chan shot a final round four-under-par 68 to finish on 18-under and pip Thai Sadom Kaewkanjana and Korean Kim Joo-hyung by one shot. Sadom fired a 67 while teenager Kim returned a 66 over the Canyon Course at Blue Canyon Country Club.

“It’s impossible, it’s amazing!” said Chan, whose last win on the Asian Tour came in 2016. “I am so happy to be back after the problems everyone has had with Covid. My front nine was not very good but an eagle on nine turned things around.”

The 35-year-old was paired in the final group with Korean Kim Sih-wan and Sadom and despite eagling the ninth he was still three behind Kim Sih-wan at the turn. 

But the Chinese-Taipei star showed why he is already a winner on Tour by birdieing four holes in a row from the 13th.

He was tied with Sadom on the par-four 18th hole, but while Chan got up and down from the front of the green to save par after holing out from four feet, the Thai player missed the green to the left with his approach and failed to make his 12-footer for par. 

Chan, who picked up a cheque for US$180,000, added: “I always enjoy coming to Thailand. I feel very relaxed playing here. Actually, I feel less pressure playing here than playing back home. It’s my second win since my baby boy arrived eight months ago. I guess it’s baby luck!”

Chan warmed up for this week’s event by finishing second in the Yeangder TPC on home soil last week ‒ an event normally played on the Asian Tour but could not this year because of Covid-19.

Chan has two Asian Tour titles to his name. Both came in 2016, first in the King’s Cup in Thailand and then the Asia-Pacific Diamond Cup in Japan. He’s also a six-time winner on the Asian Development Tour ‒ the last of those successes coming in 2018.

Sadom was looking for his fifth win in two months having won four times on the All Thailand Golf Tour, including the Thailand Open. He has not shot over par in 20 consecutive rounds.

“I tried my best, I came so close,” said Sadom, who birdied three on the trot from seven and then birdied 13, 15 and 16 before his problems on 18, where he hit a wayward tee shot left. “It’s disappointing to bogey 18 but I will learn from it and come back stronger next week.”

In contrast, 19-year-old Kim Joo-hyung birdied 18 to snatch joint second place. He fired seven birdies and one bogey and was chasing his second win on Tour.

Korean Kim Bi-o (64), Berry Henson from the United States (66), Scott Hend from Australia (67) and Kim Sih-wan (70) tied for fourth two off the lead.

Ratchanon Chantananuwat, Thailand’s 14-year-old golf sensation, thrived playing in his first Asian Tour event, shooting a brilliant 65 to finish in a tie for 15th on 12-under.

Ratchanon secured the low amateur award ‒ for the seventh time in a row in a pro event ‒ after a brilliant round made up of eight birdies and one bogey. He got off to a sensational start by holing 30-foot putts on the first two holes, the first for a par and the second for birdie.

“I am going to be completely honest, if that didn’t happen on one and two, I probably would have finished two-over,” said the rising star, who on Friday became the third youngest player to make the cut on the Asian Tour.

“Those putts turned my day around. I made all the birdie putts when I had to, but I did still miss quite a lot. I am really happy to win best amateur in my first Asian Tour event.”

He was 11-under-par over the weekend and heads into next week’s Laguna Phuket Championship brimming with confidence.

Both Phuket events, called the Asian Tour Phuket Series, boast prize-money of US$1 million and will be followed by two events being planned in Singapore in January that will bring to a conclusion the 2020-21 season.