He closed with a six-under-par 66 to finish on 24-under for a fine three-stroke victory over defending champion Travis Smyth.

Smyth, bidding to become the first player to successfully retain the title, carded a 67 at Linkou International Golf and Country Club in Taipei.

India’s Gaganjeet Bhullar, who won this event in 2012, fired a 69 to settle for third place. His birdie on the last allowed him to finish one ahead of his countryman Rashid Khan, Chinese-Taipei’s Chan Shih-Chang and Thailand’s Rattanon Wannasrichan.

After securing his fourth Asian Tour title, Poom said: “I don’t know what to say. Happy is all I can say. I’m so lucky today. I played well and had some good luck. Made some good decisions.”

Poom, the overnight leader by two thanks to an eagle on par-five 18th on Saturday when he sensationally holed his third from 112-yards, has rarely been in contention on the Asian Tour for the past five years — with the exception being in last year’s Bangladesh Open, where he tied for fourth — but he showed no lack of competitive edge on Sunday, bravely holding the lead from start to finish.

He had a one-stroke advantage at the turn, thanks to three birdies for an outward nine of three-under-par 33, from Smyth, who was playing in the penultimate group.

He then made birdies on 10 and 13 to go three ahead of Smyth — reminding the chasing pack why his nickname is the ‘Baby-Faced Assassin’.

Smyth closed the gap to two with a birdie on 16 but Poom birdied the same hole soon after for a healthy cushion playing the last few holes.

Poom’s last win on the Asian Tour came in the BNI Indonesia Masters in December of 2018, the event he also claimed in 2016. His other victory came at the 2017 Take Solutions Masters, in India.

His impressive frontrunning win is typical of the Thai golfer: he claimed his first Indonesian Masters title by five shots, the second by three, and triumphed in India by going wire-to-wire.

This week was made more special by the fact that his fiancee Piyatida, or ‘Ing Ing’, caddied for him.

“It makes her feel successful,” said Poom, who won $135,000. “Because two weeks ago I almost won on the All Thailand Tour. I had a good chance to win but I three putted 17. She cried and I felt guilty. I think this time she’s going to forget that moment.”

The 30-year-old has talked about giving up tournament golf in the past because of the pressure of having to make the cut, week in, week out, but now heads to the Asian Games next week with renewed confidence.

Smyth went bogey-free like Poom, but fell just short of his second win on the Asian Tour.

“Played pretty damn good, I shot bogey free five-under,” said the 28-year-old Australian.

“I had a lot of looks, wasn’t able to keep it going, but can’t really ask for much more. If you had told me you can have that before the round, I would have said yes, probably, so it was a good day.

“I love this place and I think this course likes me as well. You know, I hit it in the trees a couple times and got some lucky kicks back into the fairway and that sort of thing. I don’t know, I just I got a good feeling about this place. And yeah, two years in a row. It’s funny, you know, because I came here before I won, I played here one other time, and I hated it. I played terrible.

“It was my first year on the Asian Tour and I couldn’t figure out the grain, putted awfully, and I don’t know. I just feel like playing in Asia for so long now I can read the lies from the rough, I can read the greens a lot better, a lot more comfortable. And I don’t know what it is, I like this place.”

The Asian Tour remains in Chinese-Taipei next week for the $1 million Mercuries Taiwan Masters at Taiwan Golf & Country Club, from September 28 to October 1.

The post Poom back in Asian Tour winner’s circle at Yeangder TPC appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

After a seven-under 65 on Thursday, he followed up with a 67 at Linkou International Golf and Country Club to lead by one at the halfway stage on 12-under from 2012 winner Gaganjeet Bhullar from India and Smyth’s fellow Australian Jack Thompson.

A further shot back are Thailand’s Poom Saksansin, Pavit Tangkamolprasert, Phachara Khongwatmai, and Nitithorn Thippong, Lee Chieh-po from Chinese-Taipei — second here last year — Justin Quiban from the Philippines and Swede Bjorn Hellgren.

“It was pretty tough conditions today,” said Australian Smyth, whose victory last season remain his only win on the Asian Tour.

“The wind was mainly across on like just about every hole, so it was hard to get pin high — had to be very patient. It wasn’t as clean as it was yesterday. But to shoot five-under, it was a pretty good score. I would have been happy with anything under par to be honest, it was it was tough.”

One birdie on the front and four on the back, including on 18, saw him snatch the outright lead at the end, to set up a thrilling weekend.

He added: “I mean, it’s good that [last year’s win] is in the back of my mind. It’s in the memory bank, but that was last year, this is this year. A lot has changed, a lot can happen. A lot of golf to be played, so I just keep trying to hit good shots and good putts and add it up at the end.”

First-round leader Natipong Srithong from Thailand carded a 73 and is eight-under in a tie for 17th.

Main image: Asian Tour

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