Petaling Jaya, Nov 18: In a commanding display of consistent golf, 20-year-old Suttinon Panyo secured a wire-to-wire triumph at the prestigious Toyota Tour Championship, co-sanctioned by the Asian Development Tour.
The event, hosted at Saujana Golf & Country Club, witnessed Suttinon finishing with a comfortable three-stroke lead over India’s Khalin Joshi.
Ranked ninth in Thailand, Suttinon remained unruffled throughout the tournament, never facing a serious challenge from flight mates Joshi and Malaysia’s Galven Green.
Green’s two-over 74 in the final round dropped him to joint fourth at eight under 280, alongside Newport Laparojkit of Thailand and Malaysian Paul San.
Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng secured a solo third-place finish, trailing three strokes behind Joshi with a total score of 279.
Suttinon’s victory was punctuated by his exceptional performance on Saujana’s Palm Course, carding a two-under 70 in the final round.
This complemented his earlier rounds of 67, 69, and 67.
The Thai golfer’s remarkable feat on the second hole during the third round, where he aced the challenging “monster,” added to his accolades.
Following the win, Suttinon expressed his eagerness to participate in the ADT season-ending Aramco Saudi Invitational in 11 days, aiming to solidify his position on the ADT Order of Merit.
His victory propelled him 26 spots up in the rankings, now securing the ninth spot. The top 10 finishers in the ADT Order of Merit earn coveted Asian Tour cards.
“I’m very happy with my game,” said Suttinon, a native of Chiang Mai. “I kept it simple and went for the pin whenever I was in a good position.
This course is in superb condition and allowed us to hit good, clean shots and make birdie putts. I’m very thankful to my family for their support, and I hope to improve my overall game over the next few years,” he added.
For his outstanding performance, Suttinon claimed a prize of RM61,250, along with a RM3,000 bonus for his hole-in-one.
Newport Laparojkit also secured a hole-in-one at the 190-yard fifth hole during the tournament.
Joining Suttinon in the upcoming Aramco Saudi Invitational are Paul San and Galven Green, ranked 22nd, 24th, and 25th respectively on the ADT Order of Merit.
The Toyota Tour Championship served as the final leg of the Toyota Tour organized by the PGM and delivered by MSTGolf Group.
In a parallel storyline, 21-year-old Malcolm Ting, who recently turned professional after competing in the Asia Pacific Amateur Championships in Melbourne, displayed promise.
Ting, aiming for a spot in the All-Thailand Tour, finished joint 28th at one-under 287.
“I just couldn’t putt this whole week,” Ting remarked.
“I played solid from tee to green but just couldn’t find the hole. I can’t tell if it was my putting or the putter, but it’s something that I can work on.”
Among the notable performances was 52-year-old Shaifubari Muda, the resident professional and golf ambassador for Saujana GCC. As the oldest player to make the cut, Muda concluded with a respectable one-over 289 after four rounds.
Out of the 57 players, a total of 11 Malaysians made the cut.
Final Scores:
- 273 Suttinon Panyo 67-69-67-70
- 276 Khalin Joshi 68-71-66-71
- 279 Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng 69-70-71-69
- 280 Newport Laparojkit 74-69-70-67, Paul San 72-69-70-69, Galven Green 68-67-71-74
- 281 Ekpharit Wu 73-67-72-69, Nopparat Panichphol 71-68-69-71
- 282 Phanuvich Onchu 72-75-65-70, Tawit Polthai 71-72-69-70, Pisitchai Thippong 71-70-74-67
- 283 Varanyu Rattanaphiboonkij 74-70-68-71, Michele Ortolani 68-73-72-70, Jeremy Wendelken 71-68-72-72, Ahmad Baig 71-70-70-72, Gordon Brixi 68-75-73-67, Witchayapat Sinsrang 68-76-70-69
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