Former paratrooper Jaidee holds nerve in tense battle

THONGCHAI JAIDEE may have no problem jumping out of aeroplanes and waving around machine guns but he admitted to never having felt as nervous as he did in the closing stages of his historic victory at the Carlsberg Malaysian Open yesterday.

But the 34-year-old, who was a paratrooper in the Royal Thai Army before turning professional, showed the kind of mental strength required in a soldier to become the first Thai golfer to win a tournament on the European Tour.

After two bogeys on his outward nine, Jaidee retained his composure and responded with a stunning run for home, sinking four birdies and a spectacular hole-in-one to charge onto 14 under par.

Australian Brad Kennedy was his nearest challenger but, requiring a birdie on the last to force a play-off, he three putted for bogey and Jaidee clinched the title by two shots.

"I've dreamed for so long to win on the European Tour," said Jaidee, who is now fourth on the European Order of Merit and top of the Asian Tour money list.

"I am very happy to win. I had a good feeling when I came here as I won the Myanmar Open last week.

"I tried to maintain my emotions today. I was very nervous over that birdie putt on the last.

"I wasn't sure I was going to win. I saw that Brad Kennedy was a couple of shots behind and I went on to the range to get ready for a possible play-off. But I won."

It was Jaidee's third title in six tournaments after victories at the Myanmar Open last weekend and the Volvo Asian Masters in December.

Victory yesterday was set up by an eight-under-par third round that catapulted him up the leader board and right into contention.

That remarkable six-under-par run home proved the difference. The hole-in-one and the nerve-wracking birdie on the last, as it turned out, won him the tournament.

"This week has been very big, very exciting. Now it is live on television in Thailand and I am very happy," said Jaidee.

"I came back. On the 10th I made a birdie, the 13th I chipped in and the 16th was a hole-in-one. My game changed on the 16th green.

"I hit the shot with a bit of draw. You can't see the green from the tee and I was just trying to get it on the green."

In the event, it pitched 15 feet from the hole, bounced three times and dropped in to effectively seal Jaidee the $201,000 first prize, the biggest cheque he had ever won.

Kennedy, who also finished second here last year, felt he had to do something "pretty special" to win this week and came within a whisker of pulling it off.

"I am really pleased with the week," said the Queenslander, who moved up to ninth on the Order of Merit after a busy start to the year.

Ireland's Paul McGinley ended a turbulent day on six under par but his victory hopes had been extinguished in the morning when he dropped four shots in three holes while completing his rain-affected third round.

McGinley had been in touch with the leaders since day one but two bogeys and a double bogey in four holes proved his undoing.

It left him on four under par heading into the final round, eight off the pace, and with the unforgiving 'Cobra' not lending itself to attacking golf, McGinley conceded defeat on the spot.

"I tried to rally today but it just didn't happen, I was too far behind," he said. Except for four holes I was right in the middle of the tournament, I got on a bad run this morning and things just didn't role for me. It wasn't my week."