It was supposed to be Sweden’s Henrik Stenson show, but Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee, displaying the Black Mountain logo, crashed the World No. 2’s party. The 44-yearold took the title in a first hole playoff over Scotland’s Stephen Gallacher and Victor Dubuisson of France held in June at Malmo, Sweden. Jaidee posted a closing 65 to book his place in the playoff. He took full advantage to win his sixth European Tour title, but first in more than two years on the first playoff hole when the trio had tied on 16 under totals of 272.
Stenson had a chance to win on the par 5 18th hole in the final round. He stood in the fairway at 15 under. He needed eagle to win outright and birdie to get into the playoff. He didn’t make either. Needing an up and down on the par 5 18th to join the playoff, Stenson pushed his approach shot wide then flubbed his third shot into a bunker. He then failed to hole a 10 footer on his way to a deflating bogey. Stenson has won eight times on the European Tour, but never in his homeland.
He was desperate to win, but will now have to wait until next year. Jaidee, a Lop Buri Province native, hit six birdies and an eagle. His only dropped shot of the day came at the seventh, but a lengthy eagle putt on the 11th was followed by birdies on the 14th and 15th – 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.”
