Graeme McDowell posted his highest finish of the season with a T13 at the Volvo China Open, as Thailand’s Sarit Suwannarut shot a fearless final round eight-under-par 64 to win at Hidden Grace Golf Club today by the runaway margin of six-shots, to claim his second title on the Asian Tour.
McDowell made three birdies and two bogeys enroute to a final round one-under 71 that saw him climb three places on the leaderboard and he’ll make the short trip across the border with optimism ahead of next week’s Hong Kong open.
A fine four-round aggregate of 19-under-par 269, saw Suwannarut finish comfortably ahead of second placed Taichi Kho from Hong Kong and Chinese youngster Chen Guxin.
Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra, the leader at the halfway mark, fired a 68 to finish in outright fourth, a further shot back, in the US$1.5 million event being played on the Asian Tour for the first time since 2019 as part of The International Series.
Sarit’s nickname is ‘Safe’ but he was far from that today as he attacked the course from the start with a new found confidence that has been missing for the whole season.
The 25-year-old started the day three back from Chen. However, he quickly caught his Chinese playing partner with three birdies on the trot from the second and overtook him when he made another birdie on seven – a pivotal hole as Chen made a double. It meant Sarit had a three-shot lead.
By the turn he was two in front before a birdie on the 12th gave him a commanding four-shot buffer as Chen bogeyed the hole. He then cruised home for the win unchallenged with birdies on 14, and the final two holes.
After winning the BNI Indonesian Masters presented by TNE at the end of last year, also an International Series event, Sarit was expected to achieve further success, but he struggled this season, recording just one top-10 in the Mandiri Indonesia Open and missing six cuts in 13 starts before this week.
Yesterday he credited a week’s holiday in Japan with his family before coming here and deciding to go back to using the putter he used when he triumphed in Indonesia for his return to form.
“To be honest I just wanted to come here and have fun,” said Sarit.
“I wanted to find something this week because it has been a tough year. It has been a really tough year. I have missed a lot of cuts. I didn’t finish good at all but … it happens. My iron game and my putting were the problem, especially the putting. My putting this week was lights out, it’s insane. Feel like I saw every line, saw how to putt, saw everything.”
He earned a check for US$270,0000 and becomes the second Thai to win China’s national Open, after Prayad Marksaeng in 1996.
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