Marksaeng holds off Ishikawa at Dunlop
BY Bruce Young | Japan Tour | 2008 Dunlop Phoenix Tournament | Round Four | 23 Nov 2008
Thailand’s Prayad Marksaeng has become the first golfer from South East Asia to win the lucrative and prestigious Dunlop Phoenix tournament in southern Japan by adding a final round of 71 to win his third Japan Golf Tour event of the 2008 season.
42-year-old Marksaeng earlier in the season won the Mitsubishi Diamond Cup event and the Mizuno Open and the ¥40 million he won this week has moved him to the fourth position on the Japan Golf Tour money list.
Marksaeng had built a substantial five shot lead through the middle of his final round but dropped shots early in his final nine holes and a strong late challenge by the brilliant 17 year old Ryo Ishikawa saw the difference just one at the completion of the event.
Ishikawa has taken the Japan Golf Tour by storm and will play the Australian Open in three weeks time. Ishikawa turned 17 only two months ago but with a victory and two runner up finishes already this season, he is on the verge of a stunning professional career.
Spain’s Gonzalo Fernendez Castano birdied five of his last seven holes to grab a share of third with Shigeki Maruyama and Hiroyuki Fujita.
The best of the Australasians in the field were Steve Conran and Brendan Jones who finished in a share 21st place at 1 over, first round leader Paul Sheehan finished 25th while David Smail and Chris Campbell were 48th.
