Asian Tour: South Korea’s Joohyung Kim holds nerve to claim stunning Singapore International win
- Kim recovers from squandering two-shot lead to beat Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan on first extra hole
- Teenage amateur sensation Ratchanon Chantananuwat finishes third after final round 69 at Tanah Merah Country Club
Joohyung Kim recovered from squandering a two-shot lead to claim The Singapore International on Sunday, in a gripping sudden-death play-off with Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan.
The 19-year-old holed a pressure-packed 14ft birdie putt on the first extra hole, on the Tampines Course’s daunting par-five 18th, before Rattanon missed his own attempt from eight feet.
Thailand’s teenage sensation Ratchanon Chantananuwat, was in contention for much of the day, and the 14-year-old amateur took sole possession of third place, with his 69 leaving him at 2-under for the tournament, and two shots shy of the play-off.
Paired together for the final round, Kim and Rattanon finished the tournament tied on four under, after Kim closed with a 70 and Rattanon 72.
This was Kim’s second win on the Asian Tour, following his triumph in the 2019 Panasonic Open in India. Victory, and the US$180,000 winner’s cheque, moved him above Australian Wade Ormsby on the Asian Tour Order of Merit with one more event remaining this season, next week’s SMBC Singapore Open.
“All the players played their hearts out,” he said. “I’m just very lucky to be on top. It was a grind today. I think it was a lot harder than the first one [in Indian] but definitely glad I finished on top.”
The South Korean had looked to be on course to take the title in more comfortable fashion, and was two ahead with two to play but found trouble with his second shot on 17. He pushed his approach right into a penalty area next to a lake, took a drop, chipped to 15ft and made the putt for bogey.
Still, he held a one-shot lead going down the last, but Rattanon made an eight-foot birdie after a brilliant chip from behind the green, while Kim took two to get out of the greenside bunker.
“To be honest, I was walking down the fairway on that shot [on 17], to that pin. I thought I had this under control and just didn’t play safe enough,” Kim said.
“I played aggressive the whole day and I felt like sticking to the game plan was the right choice. I took the longer club and just got lazy on it, leaked it right but had a great up and down, you know, I just told myself to give myself a chance and yeah, it all worked out.”
Rattanon was also in trouble on 17 but made a brilliant up and down from the greenside bunker for par before the drama unfolded on the last.
He was also trying to win his second title on Tour, after his success in the 2017 Thailand Open, and had held the lead after the first and second days.
Ratchanon, better known as “TK”, was attempting to become the youngest winner on one of the world’s main Tours, aged 14 years, three months, four days.
He would have bettered the mark set by his compatriot Atthaya Thitikul, who won the 2017 Ladies European Thailand Open when she was 14 years, four months, 19 days.
However, it was not meant to be as despite going out in five-under-par 31, he came back in three over, which included a double on 17.
“People will look at those scores online, see those dropped shots, and think I played badly but I didn’t. I was trying so hard and playing well,” Ratchanon said.
