Kurnia Herishandy Finishes 10th At PGM-ASEAN PGA Port Dickson Championship

Port Dickson, Malaysia, October 18 - Malaysia’s Lim Eng Seng beat countryman Mohd Sukree Othman at the third hole of a thrilling playoff to win the PGM-ASEAN PGA Port Dickson Championship on Saturday.

The 32-year-old Lim, a prolific winner at amateur level, birdied the 18th for the second time in the playoff to lift his first ASEAN PGA Tour title.

Lim, three shots behind overnight, burst out of the pack with two birdies in the final three holes for a closing 67 to set the clubhouse target of eight-under-par 276 at Port Dickson Golf and Country Club.

Sukree, an experienced campaigner who shared the lead going into the final round of the PGM-ASEAN PGA Melaka Championship in March before slipping down the leaderboard with a 76, took the tournament into extra holes thanks to a final round 69 that included key birdies at the 14th and 16th holes.

Both players birdied the first playoff hole and parred the second before Lim broke the deadlock with a birdie to Sukree’s par at the third extra hole.

Unheralded Thai Natthapong Niyomchon, who put himself in contention with a 65 on Friday, held the lead after three straight birdies from the ninth but a bogey at the penultimate hole saw him card a 69 and miss the playoff by a shot.

He finished equal third with Malaysia’s Mohd Azman Basharudin who bounced back from a bogey at the first with five birdies, including three in the closing four holes, for a fine 67.

Malaysia’s Kenneth De Silva, one shot ahead overnight, made a nightmarish start with bogeys at the first and third holes and did not register a birdie until the last. He carded a 72 and finished in joint fifth place with Thailand’s Pipatpong Naewsuk (70).

Indonesian Kurnia Herishandy finished with an even par round 71 for a total score of 280, which meant a deserving share of 10th place.

Thailand’s Phachara Khongwatmai, who won last year’s Singha Hua Hin Open as a 14-year-old amateur, saved his best for last with a closing seven-under-par 64 catapulting him up to 12th place.

Leading final round scores (Par - 71):

276 - Lim Eng Seng (Mas) 69-68-72-67, Mohd Sukree Othman (Mas) 69-69-69-69 (Lim won at third extra hole)

277 - Mohd Azman Basharudin (Mas) 69-71-70-67, Natthapong Niyomchon (Tha) 70-73-65-69

278 - Pipatpong Naewsuk (Tha) 64-73-71-70, Kenneth De Silva (Mas) 68-68-70-72

279 - Khor Kheng Hwai (Mas) 72-69-74-64, Tanatchan Puaktes (Tha) 72-67-69-71, Ratchapol Jantavara (Tha) 68-69-70-72

280 - Varan Israbhakdi (Tha) 70-70-70-70, Kurnia Herishandy (Ina) 71-69-69-71