American Sihwan Kim rounded off an excellent week at Siam Country Club\u2019s Waterside Course with a two-point victory at the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge.<\/p>\n
The US$750,000 event, which was co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour and Asian Tour, saw a Modified Stableford being used with points based on the number of strokes taken at each hole with albatross: 8 points, eagle: 5 points, birdie: 2 points, par: 0 points, bogey: -1 point, double bogey or more: -3 points.<\/p>\n
After four rounds, Kim came out on top scoring 49 points to claim the inaugural title and finish two points ahead of Sweden\u2019s Maja Stark, who was the best-placed female.<\/p>\n
Heading into the final day, the 33-year-old held an eight-point lead but didn\u2019t get off to the best of starts with a bogey on the second hole.<\/p>\n
Three birdies on five, eight and 12 saw the American extended his points advantage at the top of the leaderboard before another dropped shot on 13th<\/sup>, but then came a rain delay for 90 minutes.<\/p>\n After the resumption, Kim came out the blocks firing with three birdies in-a-row and although he made a double bogey on the last it was enough to record his second win in six weeks.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously any win is a hard win. With Phachara just going strong in the beginning that put extra pressure on me, but after the restart I think that cooled Phachara off and made me hot,\u201d said Sihwan.<\/p>\n \u201cI just said on 18 all I need to do is make par, I was seven points ahead. All I needed to do was get it into play and I thought the wind was more into, but I did kind of fan it right and I didn\u2019t think it was going to go that far into the bushes and after that I said I just should have hit driver anyway.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is the first time I had had a 10-under and an 11-under in a tournament and my putting has just been phenomenal, that\u2019s pretty much what got me through it, and those putts were not short either. The putts on 14 and 16 were pretty lengthy ones, I am really confident in my putting now.\u201d<\/p>\n Sweden\u2019s Stark began her day on 34 points but birdies on the first and third holes, as well as an eagle on the eighth put her within two points of leader Kim.<\/p>\n The two-time LET winner said: \u201cA birdie on the first hole was nice. It was a six-metre putt, and I haven\u2019t really made any long putts, so that was nice to start off with that and I feel like I gave most putts a chance and that was because of the confidence I got from the first putt.<\/p>\n On three I stuck it pretty close and then after that, I didn\u2019t really have my favourite putting distances. The eagle on eight, I had an eight-iron in again, so it was a simple eagle.\u201d<\/p>\n Putts weren\u2019t rolling in as easily on the back nine and although the 2017 PING Junior Solheim Cup player enjoyed chasing down the American, two birdies in her last four holes was not enough to catch the Asian Tour Order of Merit leader as she ended with a total of 47 points.<\/p>\n \u201cThere was a bit of pressure when he made both of those birdies after the break. It was also more fun because I knew I had seven points to catch up and I was thinking about what I needed to do,\u201d said Stark, who finished sixth in the 2021 Race to Costa del Sol.<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to make an eagle on 18 and a birdie at somewhere else and obviously, that didn\u2019t happen, but it was fun to think like that. I didn\u2019t see anyone\u2019s tee shot on 18 so I was very surprised when Sihwan was driven back, and it made me think \u2018ooh it could happen\u2019.<\/p>\n \u201cBut sadly, I think I had a little bit too much adrenaline. It is not often I hit a hybrid 230m into the wind, so I think a bit too much adrenaline with that one. I\u2019m happy with my game. My putting could have been a lot better, and my irons today weren\u2019t very good today.<\/p>\n \u201cI shot -6 today and -20 is by far my best score on a four-round tournament. I\u2019m happy with it. I feel like I have finally come back from winter golf and it being really cold and playing on even par is a fantastic score with those conditions, but I am very happy to get into the birdie and eagle mindset.\u201d<\/p>\n Thailand\u2019s Budsabakorn finished in third place on 42 points with compatriots Phahara Khongwatmai in fourth on 41 and Sadom Kaewkanjana in fifth on 40.<\/p>\n Korea\u2019s Joohyung Kim and Thailand\u2019s Natipong Srithong end the tournament in a tie for sixth place on 39 points, while Australian Andrew Dodt and Thai duo Jazz Janewattananond and Chanettee Wannasaen round out the top 10 on 38 points.<\/p>\n In the 2022 Race to Costa del Sol, Stark catapulted herself up the rankings from 58th<\/sup> to third place and she now has 567.50 points behind leader Lee-Anne Pace (681.87) and fellow Swede Linn Grant (586.25).<\/p>\n Georgia Hall and Esther Henseleit are tied for fourth place with 500 points each, Johanna Gustavsson is sixth on 455 points, with Magdalena Simmermacher in seventh (425.50), Michele Thomson is eighth (409.71), Kim Metraux moves up to ninth place (393.60) and Manon De Roey is in 10th<\/sup> (358.25).<\/p>\n