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It was the former Asian number one’s second victory on the Mercedes-Benz Tour after his triumph in last season’s Heritage Melaka Classic.The 43-year-old veteran missed a similar length birdie putt to win in regulation with his final round 68 giving him a 12-under-par total of 276.

Big-hitting Namchok (left), the 2009 Mercedes-Benz Tour Order of Merit champion, closed with a three under 69 to take the contest into an extra hole. Chawalit Plaphol (pictured below, right), who led by a stroke going into the last day, had a rollercoaster round with seven bogeys and five birdies and his final 74 saw him tie for third place with Thai-based Pakistani Nadeem Inayat, who closed with a 68.

Thaworn, an 11-time winner on the Asian circuit, surprised himself with his victory over the lengthy Singha Park layout.

“It is the first time I have played well and won on such a long course – I am shocked but happy,” said a delighted Thaworn. “It was a good battle today but I tried to stay calm and just play my game.”

Thaworn used his wizardly short game to great effect with several great chips and some deadly putting.

“I was spraying my drives left and right but did not get into too much trouble,” he said. “I had a good day around the greens.”

A brilliant four iron to five feet at the difficult 200-yard, par-three 17th set up a birdie for Thaworn which drew him level with Namchok coming down the last.

The 23-year-old Namchok, a two-time winner on the Mercedes-Benz Tour last season, produced a turbo-charged back nine with four birdies but failed to capitalise on his length off the tee at the par-five 18th in regulation and the play-off.

“I drove into the rough in the play-off and also hit my third shot from the rough and did not have an easy birdie putt,” said Namchok. “It was an exciting round and I was happy with the way I played especially on the back nine. If I had chipped better I might have won.”

It was an engrossing battle between the three most successful players in the field with the lead changing hands several times.Chawalit dropped a shot at the first to fall into a tie for top spot with Namchok while Thaworn, who started the day two behind, bogeyed the second after driving into a bunker.

Consecutive bogeys on the fifth and sixth holes saw Chawalit drop back but, after tossing his ball into a lake in disgust, he regained the lead at the halfway stage with three straight birdies from the seventh hole. He went off the rails again at the start of the back nine with two opening bogeys and Thaworn powered into a one shot lead over Namchok with birdies on the 11th and 12th holes.

The explosive Namchok failed to produce the expected fireworks on the front nine with eight pars and one bogey but birdies on the 10th and 12th kept him right in the hunt. He drained a 20-foot putt at the 14th hole to draw level with Thaworn at the top of the leaderboard on 11 under par with Chawalit trailing by two shots after missing a short birdie putt.

Chawalit, wearing an eye-catching golf shirt with an owl’s face emblazoned on the front, hauled himself back to within a shot of the leaders with a birdie at the 15th before Namchok grabbed the outright lead with a birdie at the 16th. Thaworn responded with his birdie at the 17th which took him level with Namchok and set up a thrilling finale.

The Singha E-San Open, the sixth leg of the 10-stop Mercedes-Benz Tour, is co-sanctioned by the All Thailand Golf Tour. The next tournament is the Mercedes-Benz Masters Singapore at Laguna National Golf and Country Club from August 11-14.

Leading final round scores (Thai unless stated)
 
Par 72

276 - Thaworn Wiratchant   71 69 68 68, Namchok Tantipokhakul 70 67 70 69
(Thaworn won on first extra hole in sudden-death play-off)
280 - Chawalit Plaphol   65 70 71 74, Nadeem Inayat (PAK) 69 73 70 68
281 - Sirapong Maitreeyuenyong 69 68 75 69 
282 - Napat Pattamasing 70 74 71 67, Wittawat Sae-Ung 67 69 73 73  
284 - Pawin Ingkhapradit (a) 68 72 74 70 284, Tanutchan Puaktes 72 69 73 70 
286 - Firoz Ali (IND) 76 71 73 66, Thitiphan Chuayprakong 72 71 73 70, Darren Robson (ENG) 72 69 74 71, Somchai Pongpaew 69 70 74 73, Thanyakon Khrongpha 68 71 72 75 
287 - Atthaphon Prathummanee 70 74 72 71,  Udorn Duangdecha 71 73 72 71, Wasin Sripattranusorn (a) 69 74 71 73, Pornpong Phatlum 76 67 69 75

From Golf Digest Singapore August 2010 issue