By David Ferguson
After a rollercoaster day of action, there was a nerve-jangling finale to the Ballantine's Championship at Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju, Korea, on Sunday. Thai star Thongchai Jaidee was the victor at the first hole of a dramatic three-way playoff to record his 12th Asian tour success.
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![Thongchai Jaidee poses with the Ballantine's Championship trophy following his playoff victory at Pinx Golf Club in Jeju, Korea, on Sunday. [Paul Lakatos/Parallel Media Group]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20090427/000802aa2f490b5f8c8f4b.jpg "Thongchai Jaidee poses with the Ballantine's Championship trophy following his playoff victory at Pinx Golf Club in Jeju, Korea, on Sunday. [Paul Lakatos/Parallel Media Group]")
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Thongchai Jaidee poses with the Ballantine's Championship trophy following his playoff victory at Pinx Golf Club in Jeju, Korea, on Sunday. [Paul Lakatos/Parallel Media Group]
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The Thai ace sank a six-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to edge out Spain's Gonzalo Fernández-Castano and local hero Kang Sung Hoon, after the trio had all finished on four-under-par 284 on another day of blustery conditions.
Thongchai – whose victory was also the fourth European Tour title of his career – was a relieved man after the thrilling finish to the €2.1 million showpiece. "I'm so happy for my family," said the father-of-two, who collected a cheque for €333,330. I phoned home this week every day and one day my son came on the phone and said to me, 'Daddy, I want you to bring home the trophy for me.' Now I can do that."
Thongchai, whose previous three European Tour victories all came in warm weather tournaments in Asia, mastered the cold and wind to prove he could win in tough conditions. "When I first played in Europe 10 years ago my hands were so cold I could barely hold the club. But I've practised hard and this is the result," said the 39-year-old. "This is going to encourage me to play more in Europe this year and then my target will be to get into the world's top 50."
During regulation play, Kang had the galleries roaring when he holed out with his approach shot on the par-five 16th for an eagle to grab a one-shot lead at five-under. But he three-putted on the 18th for a bogey five and a final round of 68. Fernández-Castano ensured there would be a playoff when he calmly parred the 18th for a 69 and Thongchai made it a three-way tie when he drained a six-foot par putt for a 70.
When the trio returned to the 18th for the playoff, Fernández-Castano fired his approach shot to the back edge of the green and his long birdie attempt came up short. Kang missed an eight-foot putt for birdie and Thongchai, who had set up his chance with an immaculate approach, stepped up and sank the winning putt, raising his arms in triumph.
Thongchai's success in the Ballantine's Championship – once again co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours and Korea PGA – thwarted a fairytale win for Kang. The 21-year-old, born and raised in Jeju, is in just his second season on the Korean domestic tour and was playing only his third European Tour event.
"Going into this tournament I set myself a goal to be in the top 10 and I achieved that," he said. "If there is one thing I would do differently it would be the 18th hole where I three-putted. That's what put me in the playoff."
