GolfPlus - Nov 19 Digital Edition (Nov 19) | Page 28

ON THE ASIAN TO UR
SURADIT YONGCHAROENCHAI
Tournament: Mercuries Taiwan Masters
Venue: Taiwan Golf and Country Club
hailand’s Suradit
Yongcharoenchai
pocketed his
career’s biggest
prize cheque and
win when he held on for a
one-shot victory after his
closest rivals failed to mount
a challenge at the Mercuries
Taiwan Masters on Sunday.
Suradit, who started his fi nal
round at the Taiwan Golf
and Country Club one shot
back of overnight leaders,
Ajeetesh Sandhu of India
and Philippines’ Miguel
Tabuena, closed with a
two-under-par 70 to clinch
his breakthrough on the
Asian Tour where he made
his debut as a 17-year-old
in 2015.
Suradit started well with a
birdie on his third hole but
gave two shots back with
a double-bogey six on the
next hole. The Thai was
quick to make amends when
he charged to the turn with
three birdies in his next four
holes.
TOSHINORI MUTO
Tournament: Panasonic OPEN Golf Championship
Venue: Higashi Hirono Golf Club
apan’s Toshinori Muto collected his fi rst Asian Tour title
in style after closing with a second straight seven-under-
par 64 to win by four shots at the Panasonic OPEN Golf
Championship.
The 41-year-old Muto halted a winless streak of four years
after fi ring eight birdies against a bogey to cap a winning total
of 21-under-par 263, setting a record lowest 72-hole score in
the tournament that is celebrating its 10th edition this week.
Starting the day with a one-shot edge, Muto rode on his
fi ne form to pull away from the chasing pack at the Higashi
Hirono Golf Club. His four-shot triumph would also match
the largest winning margin record in the tournament set
earlier by Daisuke Maruyama in 2009.
Shugo Imahira, who entered the week as the second highest-
ranked Japanese on the Offi cial World Golf Ranking (OWGR),
came in runner-up after closing with three straight birdies for
a 67. Home favourite Ryo Ishikawa carded a commendable 66
to fi nish one shot back in third.
32 G o l f P l u s
NOVEMBER
2019