Thai veteran star Thaworn Wiratchant came from five shots back to win an unprecedented 17th Asian Tour victory with a classy onestroke triumph at the Queen’s Cup on Sunday June 8th. The 47-year-old Thaworn holed a five foot birdie putt on the closing hole to pip overnight leader Poom Saksansin with a final round of five-under-par 66 at the Santiburi Samui Country Club to lift the Queen’s Cup for the second time in three years.
“It is so meaningful to me, whether it’s a small or big tournament. At every tournament, I am always trying my best. There was pressure this morning as I wanted to go out there and play some good golf,” said a delighted Thaworn, whose winner’s cheque of US$54,000 lifted his career earnings on Tour to over US$4 million.
The unorthodox swinging Thaworn surged into a one-shot lead with a birdie on 14 but made life difficult for himself by dropping a bogey on 17 after missing a four-foot par attempt. With Poom, who was wobbly with an outward 39, fighting back with birdies on 16 and 17 to make it a three-way tie going into the final hole, Thaworn’s experience came through in the end. The home hero found the green in two at the par five 18th hole and with Siddikur and Poom both struggling after hitting wayward approach shots, Thaworn duly rolled in a fivefoot putt much to the delight of his adoring fans. “I knew I had to play well on 18. I wasn’t very confident as I made bogey on 17. I aimed for the green and if it didn’t get on the green, I knew it would be around the green which would give me a birdie chance.
I was confident from there onwards,” said Thaworn, who totaled 12-under-par 272 for the week. “The putt for birdie, I felt I could make it. It was hard to say where I was in control. Siddikur played well and Poom was always there. Today, I think I got lucky.” Scores after round 4 of the Queen’s Cup Bangkok Airways – SAT Samui Golf 2014 played at the par 71, 6,823 Yards Santiburi GC course: 272 – Thaworn WIRATCHANT (THA) 71-68- 67-66.
273 – Poom SAKSANSIN (THA) 66-67- 68-72.
274 – Donlaphatchai NIYOMCHON (THA) 68-68-70-68, Siddikur RAHMAN (BAN) 68-70-64-72.
276 – BAEK Seuk-hyun (KOR) 69-66-71-70.
278 – CHOO Tze Huang (SIN) 67-72-71-68, Richard T. LEE (CAN) 69-71-69-69, WANG Jeung-hun (KOR) 72-69-68-69.
279 – Pariya JUNHASAVASDIKUL (THA) 77-68-68-66, Prom MEESAWAT (THA) 71-71-69-68, Rahil GANGJEE (IND) 73-70-68-68, Antonio LASCUNA (PHI) 69-71-70-69, Chapchai NIRAT (THA) 72-67-69-71. 280 – Jazz JANEWATTANANOND (THA) 71-74-71-64, Jyoti RANDHAWA (IND) 71-73-68-68, Rattanon WANNASRICHAN (THA) 69-71-70-70.
281 – Miguel TABUENA (PHI) 74-68-71-68.
