Thongchai Jaidee wins Wales Open

Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand has won the ISPS Handa Wales Open at the Celtic Manor Resort by a single shot. It was his fifth European Tour victory but his first secured in Europe.

Thongchai Jaidee wins Wales Open (Getty Images)
Fergus Bisset
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Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand has won the ISPS Handa Wales Open at the Celtic Manor Resort by a single shot. It was his fifth European Tour victory but his first secured in Europe.

On a testing, wet and windy final day over the Twenty Ten course, it was the diminutive former paratrooper from Southeast Asia who came out on top.

Jaidee began the final round one stroke clear of Holland's Joost Luiten and Ross Fisher from England. But the 42-year-old Thai struggled on the front nine, out in a three-over par 39. At that stage it was Luiten who had moved to the top of the leaderboard.

Jaidee bounced back in fine fashion though, with three straight birdies from the 10th. Another followed a the 15th and, despite two bogeys in his last three holes, he was able to hold on for the win.

"I'd like to say thank you to all my family, the supporters and the sponsors here," he said. "Conditions were quite tough for me, not like Thailand!"

Luiten finished in a tie for second with three players who made a significant move through the field on the final day. Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Richard Sterne of South Africa and Dane Thomas Bjorn returned rounds of 67, 68 and 68 respectively to end the week as joint runners-up.

Ross Fisher fell away into a tie for sixth with Paul McGinley. Fisher was penalised a stroke for taking too long over shots on the 11th and 14th holes. Irishman McGinley carded a round of the day 65 that included six birdies and no bogeys.

ISPS Handa Wales Open The Celtic Manor Resort, Newport, Wales 31 May - 3 Jun, purse €2,224,000, par 71

1   Thongchai Jaidee (Tha)   71   68   67   72   278   €300,000 T2   Gonzalo Fdz-Castano (Esp) 69 41   69   67   279   €119,750 T2   Richard Sterne (RSA)   73   69   69   68   279   €119,750 T2   Thomas Bjorn (Den)   71   72   68   68   279   €119,750 T2   Joost Luiten (Ned)   74   69   64   72   279   €119,750 T6   Paul McGinley (Ire)   72   73   70   65   280   €58,500 T6   Ross Fisher (Eng)      70   66   71   73   280   €58,500 T8   Peter Lawrie (Ire)      72   73   69   67   281   €40,440 T8   Joel Sjoholm (Swe)   69   74   70   68   281   €40,440 T8   Romain Wattel (Fra)   73   72   68   68   281   €40,440

Note: Player score in bold signifies Titleist ball usage

Where next? PGA Tour - Tiger Woods wins Memorial Tournament

Fergus Bisset
Fergus Bisset
Contributing Editor

Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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