Sadom fends off chasing pack to win Singapore Open

SINGAPORE: Thailand's Sadom Kaewkanjana won the SMBC Singapore Open golf on Sunday (Jan 23) with a comfortable three-shot victory over South Korea's Kim Joo-hyung and Japan's Yuto Katsuragawa.

The 23-year-old triumphed five times in Thailand last year but the Singapore victory, where he signed off with a two-under-par 69, is the biggest win of his career since turning professional.

Starting the day with a share of the lead, Sadom parred the first five holes before firing two birdies on holes six and seven for an outward 34.

He remained steady throughout his back nine, making nine straight pars without dropping a shot for a winning total of 13-under-par 271.

"I'm very excited and happy to have won this tournament. There was a lot of pressure on me today, but I stayed patient and I did it," he said.

"A lot of hard work has gone into this victory, and I'm pleased with myself."

With his win, Sadom secured one of the four qualifying spots in The Open Championship in St Andrews in July.

He said it would be the first time he has played in a major, and he was looking forward to competing "in the home of golf at St Andrews".

South Korea's Kim missed out on back-to-back wins following his victory at the Singapore International last week.

But his tied-second finish ensured the 19-year-old would become the second-youngest player to capture the Asian Tour Order of Merit title.

"I didn't know it was going be this fast (to win the merit title). It's still sinking in - but I'm definitely very happy with it," he said.

The Singapore Open was the season-ending event in the Asian Tour's 2020-21 calendar, which faced a lengthy hiatus last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.