Laguna Phuket Championship: Rashid top Indian at 18th, Phachara wins title

Phachara, who first hit headlines when he won a professional event aged 14, claimed the biggest tournament of his career after closing with an even-par 70 for a winning total of 10 under.

The two-time Asian Tour winner, who had three fine rounds of 69, 65 and 66 was let down by a third round 76.

Rashid Khan rounded off the week with a fine 4-under and was the best Indian at T-18 in the USD 1million Laguna Phuket Championship after a gripping finish here.

The two-time Asian Tour winner, who had three fine rounds of 69, 65 and 66 was let down by a third round 76.

Shiv Kapur also had a shaky week and ended with even par 70 and T-24th with 67-74-66-70. Veer Ahlawat, who was in Top-10 last week, faltered over the weekend with 73-74 after 66-67 on first two days to finish T-36th alongside Khalin Joshi (67-71-72-70).

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S Chikkarangappa (71) was T-51, Udayan Mane (76) T-68 and Karandeep Kochhar (74) T-73.

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai finally secured his breakthrough maiden win on the Asian Tour by claiming the title.

He holed a pressure-packed 12-foot par putt on the 18th at the Laguna Golf Phuket to avoid a sudden-death play-off and beat countrymen Panuphol Pittayarat and Denwit Boriboonsub and Korean Bio Kim by a solitary shot.

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Phachara, who first hit global headlines when he won a professional event aged 14, claimed the biggest tournament of his career after closing with an even-par 70 for a winning total of 10 under on a difficult day when the wind speed reached 25 to 30km per hour.

The tournament developed into a two-horse race over the closing holes but Phachara pulled through.

Denwit, aged just 17, returned a 68, Panuphol 71 and Bio 72.

The tournament was the second and final event of the Asian Tour Phuket Series.