Spaniard Sergio Garcia claimed a sensational four-shot victory at the Thailand Golf Championship last Sunday, thanks to a final round of four-under-par 68 which gave him a first victory of 2013.
The Ryder Cup star, who held an overnight four-shot advantage, held off world number three Henrik Stenson of Sweden, who also signed for a 68 in the US$1 million Asian Tour event at Amata Spring Country Club.
Spain’s Sergio Garcia poses with the Thailand Golf Championship trophy following his victory at Amata Spring Country Club in Chonburi, Sunday, Dec. 15. (Photo/Colin Dunjohn, Thailand Golf Champonship)
Frenchman Alexander Levy carded a 69 to finish third while India’s Anirban Lahiri emerged as the joint best Asian performer by sharing fourth place with Japan’s Yuki Kono (69), last year’s winner Charl Schwartzel of South Africa (67) and world number four Justin Rose of England (72). Chapchai Nirat was the highest placed Thai golfer in tied eighth after a 69.
In a year which has seen him post 10 top-10s around the world, world number 19 Garcia, who is expected to rise to 10th in the world after picking up 38 world ranking points, produced some of his best golf to break his duck in front of massive galleries at the magnificent Amata Spring.
Stenson, winner of the European Tour’s Race to Dubai and PGA Tour’s FedExCup this season, trimmed the overnight lead by half at the turn but Garcia shifted into fifth gear with three successive birdies from the 10th hole to eventually cruise home comfortably and pick up his 21st Tour victory and fourth on the Asian Tour with his 22-under-par 266 winning aggregate.
“It was great, an amazing week …. obviously being the last week of the year and for having Katharina (Boehm) caddie for me,” said the 33-year-old, who had his girlfriend on caddying duty here.
“I knew Henrik was going to make it difficult for me. He’s been playing so amazingly great, and he did. He kept hitting good shot after good shot. And then when I bogeyed seven, I had to make a good par save on nine after getting a bit unlucky with the approach shot. And then I made three very important birdies on the first three on the back nine and gave myself a little bit of a cushion,” added Garcia, who finished fourth here last year.
After safely hitting the floating island green on the par three signature 17th hole and finding the fairway on 18, it was only then that Garcia could enjoy the victory march up the final green.
Henrik Stenson of Sweden finished runner-up after a final round 68. (Photo/Colin Dunjohn, Thailand Golf Champonship)
“I pretty much knew that finishing par, par, the tournament was pretty much mine, and then just making sure I kept the tee shot dry on 18 and I hit a great second shot with a six iron, and once the ball came out of the clubface, I knew that I was pretty much done,” said Garcia, who pocketed US$180,000.
Stenson, who had been enjoying dinners with Garcia throughout the week in Bangkok, lamented missed opportunities on eight and nine which would have drawn him level with the Spaniard.
“I’ve had a great year but coming here really on the fumes left in the tank, not too much going for me to perform in that sense. But I played really nicely yesterday and I was hanging in there today and I was just coming up a couple short,” said the Swede, who has won three times since August.
“I needed something really, really good to happen on eight and nine but I didn’t make those two birdie putts and Sergio was hanging in there, made one or two good saves and then he made three birdies in a row, and pulled away. Congratulations to Sergio on a great week. He played really well.”
(Source: www.thailandgolfchampionship.com)
