Koh Samui (Thailand), June 21 (IANS) Seasoned Indian golfer S.S.P. Chawrasia carded one-under 71 to finish tied sixth as Thai veteran Prayad Marksaeng fired six-under 65 to win the title by two shots at the $300,000 Queen’s Cup here on Sunday.
Chawrasia, who got scores of 73, 67, 67 in the first three rounds respectively, got a total of seven-under 277 — seven shots distant of winner Prayad, who won the second Queen’s Cup title in three years at the Santiburi Samui Country Club.
Two-time winner on the European Tour, Chawrasia, 37, birdied the 14th, 16th and 17th holes and bogeyed the fourth. The Kolkata-based golfer shared the spot with American Paul Peterson (68), Canadian Richard T. Lee (70) and Japanese Akinori Tani (75).
Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka carded a 69 to finish two shots back in fifth place on his own.
Battle-hardened Prayad, 49, overturned a three-shot deficit by firing nine birdies against three bogeys for a winning total of 14-under 270.
Countryman Thanyakon Khrongpha matched Prayad’s efforts on the final day to grab second place while Jazz Janewattananond, also of Thailand, shared the third position on 274 with Siddikur Rahman of Bangladesh, who followed rounds of 66 and 68 respectively.
Indian Chiragh Kumar dropped 13 places to be tied 28th as he went through a poor final round of three-over 74. He got a total of even-par 284, while his compatriot Khalin Joshi took the tied 33rd spot with three-over 287 as total. Delhi-based Rashid Khan was tied 47th with six-over 290 as his four-day total.
Prayad, who first won the Queen’s Cup in 2013, proved once again that old is gold as he clinched his ninth Asian Tour title at the Santiburi Samui Country Club.
“To be able to win at 49 years old is just incredible for me. I am very proud of myself,” said Prayad, who took home $54,000.
