Shiv Kapur T11 at Thailand Classic

Edited by Anand Datla

February 15, 2015: Shiv Kapur shot a 68 in the final round to finish just outside the top ten at the Thailand Classic. Jyoti Randhawa (277) was a shot behind Kapur in T15. Anirban Lahiri closed the week with a 67 to finish in T21 a further stroke away from Randhawa. Arjun Atwal also had a memorable Sunday posting a 66 to climb up to T31. SSP Chowrasia was the only real disappointment, after he slipped to the bottom misfiring with a 79 in the final round. Andrew Dodt completed a remarkable return to The European Tour winner’s circle as he denied Thongchai Jaidee victory on home soil in this eagerly contested tournament.

Kapur ended the tournament, just as he had begun on Thursday – shooting a blemish-less 68 that included three birdies on the front nine. Randhawa produced a moderate 71 with four birdies to finish inside the top twenty. Lahiri was impressive too – shooting six birdies to jump 21 places on the leaderboard.

A winner in India back in 2010, the 29 year old Dodt had not had a top-ten finish since and had to battle through November’s Qualifying School to regain his playing rights after losing them at the end of 2013.

“I’m speechless – it’s just come out of nowhere,” said the Australian, who shot a flawless closing 67 for a 16 under par total and one shot victory at Black Mountain Golf Club. “I played really well yesterday and today but I just didn’t think I’d come out on top. I knew I was playing well but to come out and win is just a dream come true.”

“To be honest, losing my card two years ago was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. I went home last year, spent 12 months at home, played the Asian Tour again, found myself again, found my game and to be in the winner’s circle again – it’s unbelievable.”

Tournament ambassador Jaidee was level with Dodt with three holes to play, but three-putted the 16th for bogey, failed to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker for birdie at the next and, requiring a gain at the par five last to force a play-off, left his eagle putt eight feet short and missed the birdie effort after finding the green in two.

Not that the drama was restricted to the closing stages on an enthralling final day. Overnight leader Scott Hend had initially gone two shots clear in the final round with birdies at the second and fourth, but did not find a further birdie and three-putt bogeys at the seventh and 14th, as well as a dropped shot on the 17th where he almost found water from a greenside bunker, saw him card a closing 72 and finish tied second with Jaidee.

Afterwards Hend said: “I pressed for the win on 17 and got a bit aggressive with my bunker shot, and I finished one shot behind. I came here to try to win. I thought Dodty was going to make birdie on 18 and I was only 15 under, so I thought I had to play an aggressive bunker shot. Unfortunately, I caught it a little too clean and bogeyed the hole.”

Dodt capitalised on his compatriot’s errors by following a hat-trick of birdies from the first with efforts from five feet at the 12th and 20 feet at the 15th. Jaidee swiftly joined him at the top of the leaderboard, having initially taken a share of the lead with a birdie from five feet at the first.

A run of ten straight pars saw him lose ground, but the former paratrooper did make a gain from six feet at the 12th. His challenge looked to be in jeopardy when he ran up a double bogey seven at the long next after finding the hazard with his second, but Jaidee responded with birdies from 15 feet at the 14th and tap-in range at the next following a brilliant approach.

But the 45 year old was left to rue his costly finish as he narrowly missed out on adding to his six European Tour titles with a closing 71. Jaidee’s compatriot Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Canada’s Richard T Lee and American Jason Knutzon shared fourth on 14 under par.

Miguel Angel Jiménez’s bid to extend his own record as The European Tour’s oldest winner had started well with back-to-back birdies kicking off his fourth round, but the 51 year old Spaniard did not gain another shot all day as a 73 left him in a share of seventh.