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Namchok Tantipokhakul of Thailand underlined his huge potential by outduelling countryman Chawinroj Rungsrichai in a gripping head-to-head battle to win the US$50,000 B-ing Championship on the Mercedes-Benz Tour.
 
Namchok, 22, birdied two of the last five holes to post a level par 72 and a winning score of seven under 281, two ahead of Chawinroj (pictured left) who had two chip in birdies in the final four holes to pile on the pressure in what developed into a matchplay contest. Fellow Thai Sattaya Sapupramai was third on one under 287 after a closing 72, the only other player in the field to finish below par. World number 85 Prayad Marksaeng, who struggled with the pace of the greens all week, failed to mount a challenge and closed with an ugly five over 77 for a share of 12th place.
 
The big-hitting Namchok was delighted at claiming his first tournament on the Mercedes-Benz Tour and a cheque for US$7,000.
 
“I am very happy to win for the first time on the Mercedes-Benz Tour – my heart is about to burst,” he said. “It was good to play with Prayad earlier in the tournament and to show I was good enough to win. This is just the first step. I want to go on and win again before the end of the season.”
 
He added that playing over his home course at Bangpra Golf Club was a huge advantage.
 

“I know the course and the greens here very well and that was key this week,” said Namchok, who was second in the Tour’s ICTSI Mt. Malarayat Championship, Philippines, earlier in the year. Even when Chawinroj holed two shots from off the green for birdie I knew I could do it as I was playing my home course.”
 
Chawinroj, who started the day two behind Namchok and matched his closing 72, said that he was pleased to have pushed the winner all the way.
 
“I did my best and it was great to hole twice from off the green for birdie down the stretch,” said the bearded 25 year old. “But Namchok played that little bit better and deserved to win.”
 
The chunky Namchok was fast out of the blocks with a birdie at the second hole but went back to even par with a bogey at the next. A birdie at the fifth saw him move four ahead but back-to-back bogeys at the eighth and ninth saw his lead over Chawinroj reduced to just one at the turn.Chawinroj matched Namchok’s bogey, birdie at 13 and 14 before drawing level in spectacular fashion with a chip-in birdie from off the green at the 15th. Namchok regained the lead at the next hole when Chawinroj three putted and he virtually sealed the deal by matching his opponent’s brilliant birdie on the 17th.
 
Prayad (right), the class act in the field with six wins on the Asian circuit to his name, self-imploded on the back nine. The slow, hard-to-read greens bedeviled him all week and he missed several short putts on his way to bogeys at the eighth, 10th, 12th, 13th and 18th and a double bogey on 15.
 
The next event on the Mercedes-Benz Tour is the Mercedes-Benz Masters Indonesia at Emeralda Golf and Country Club from October 14-17.
 
Leading final scores (Thailand unless stated)
 
Par 72
 
281 - Namchok Tantipokhakul 73-67-69-72
283 - Chawinroj Rungsrichai 72-71-68-72
287 - Sattaya Sapupramai 71-70-74-72
288 - Nadeem Inayat (PAK) 72-74-70-72
290 - Pasamet Pogamnerd 75-73-72-70, Thammanoon Srirot 70-72-76-72, Udorn Duangdecha 70-72-73-75, Atthaphon Prathummanee 69-71-76-74
291 – Narinrit Tantrakul 74-73-72-72, Antonio Lascuna (PHI) 71-73-73-74, Baek Seuk-hyun (KOR) 74-70-73-74
292 - Prayad Marksaeng 72-70-73-77, Phiphatphong Naewsuk 76-68-70-78, Anthony Fernando (PHI)74-74-74-70

From Golf Digest Singapore Sept 2009 issue