Mizuno win earns Marksaeng start at Open
IN: News | Japan | Mizuno Open (2008) | Round Four | by Bruce Young | 22 Jun 2008
42-year-old Thai golfer, Prayad Marksaeng, won his second consecutive event on the Japan Golf Tour when he birdied five of his last seven holes at the Gateway to the Open Mizuno Open Yomiuri Classic near Osaka to secure his second career title in Japan.
Three weeks ago, Marksaeng won the Mitsubishi Diamond Cup for his first win in nearly seven years of competing in Japan. In between that victory and this week he had finished third at the Asian Tour’s Bangkok Airways event on the island of Kho Samui.
In addition to his significant first prize of ¥26 million, Marksaeng also earns a start at the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale next month, the leading four players in this event, not otherwise exempt, all gaining starts in Southport. Runner up Azuma Yano, and third placed Michio Matsumura and Yoshinobu Tsukada also gain starts in what will no doubt be their first major championship.
Another player who shared third, Dong Hwa Lee, narrowly and agonisingly missed out on a trip to the Open as his final round of 69 eliminated him, via countback, for one of the sought after places in the Open field.
Steve Conran was the best of the Australians in a tie for 11th, Scott Laycock was 28th, Paul Sheehan 34th, Chris Campbell 43rd and Craig Jones 56th.
The stop-start Japan Golf Tour now has another week off before the UBS Japan Golf Tour Championship Shishido Hills in Ibaraki Prefecture east of Tokyo.
