Aphibarnrat defies conditions to take first title

Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat today held his nerve after an untimely weather delay to win his first European Tour title in the Maybank Malaysian Open.

The tournament had been reduced to 54 holes following thunderstorms on each of the first three days, and another arrived just after the final group had teed off on the 16th hole today.

That meant a delay of just over two hours with Aphibarnrat one shot ahead of Italy’s Edoardo Molinari, who had completed his 67 just before the delay and was safely in the clubhouse.

But Aphibarnrat made light of the disruption, hitting his approach to the 16th to three feet for birdie and then saving par on the next after almost finding water over the back of the green.

The 23-year-old former junior world champion therefore had the luxury of taking six on the 634-yard par-five 18th to complete a closing 70, sealing a wire-to-wire one-shot win over Molinari and claiming the first prize of £303,000.

Denmark’s Anders Hansen was third on 11 under with France’s Victor Dubuisson and South African Charl Schwartzel joint fourth a shot further back.