Andrew Dodt of Australia posing with the winner’s trophy after the final round of the Thailand Classic golf tournament at the Black Mountain Golf Club in the Thai town of Hua Hin yesterday.

Reuters/Bangkok

Australian Andrew Dodt fired another brilliant five-under-par 67 to claim the European Tour’s inaugural Thailand Classic yesterday by one shot from home favourite Thongchai Jaidee and overnight leader Scott Hend.
The world number 281 was as surprised as anyone by the victory at Black Mountain Golf Club, his second on the European Tour after winning in New Delhi in 2010.
Instead of kicking on from that success, the 29-year-old endured a difficult time and had not had a top 10 finish since, only regaining his Tour card in November at qualifying school.
“I’m speechless - it’s just come out of nowhere,” he said after his third consecutive 67 gave him a 16-under total.
“I played really well yesterday and today but I just didn’t think I’d come out on top. I knew I was playing well but to come out and win is just a dream come true.
“Losing my card two years ago was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. I went home last year, spent 12 months at home, played the Asian Tour again, found myself again, found my game and to be in the winner’s circle again—it’s unbelievable.”
Dodt begun the day at the Asian Tour co-sanctioned event four back of compatriot Hend but immediately ate away at the deficit by opening with three birdies.
Hend also had a bright start with two birdies in his first four holes but a bogey at seven and a string of pars allowed Thongchai, the tournament ambassador, to draw level at 16-under after the Thai recorded a birdie three at the 12th.
The 45-year-old Thongchai, however, tossed in a costly double bogey seven at the next after finding the hazard which looked to have ended his hopes.
However, he recovered back-to-back birdies to join Dodt at 16-under after the Australian picked up a fifth shot of the day at the 15th after also collecting one at 12.
Hend’s hopes ended with bogeys at 14 and 17 leaving Thongchai as Dodt’s main challenger but the Thai three-putted the 16th for a bogey to fall one back.
The Australian, playing in the three-ball ahead of Hend (72)and Thongchai, was able to par in to set the clubhouse mark after narrowly missing with a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-five last.
He then watched anxiously as Thongchai reached the last in two but the Thai again encountered three-putt woe. His eight-foot birdie effort to force a playoff just missed the cup and he finished with a 71, level with Hend, as Dodt took the title.
Furyk in lead
Jim Furyk, who dusted off his clubs this week after a five-month break, surged into the lead after the third round at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am on Saturday.
In his first event since the Tour Championship last September, the former US Open champion carded a nine-under-par 63 on another sunny day at Pebble Beach on California’s Monterey Peninsula.
Furyk birdied seven of the final 10 holes to vault past Australian Matt Jones, who led until he bogeyed his final two holes.
Furyk posted an 18-under 197 total, one stroke ahead of fellow American Brandt Snedeker (67) and Jones (67), with Californian Nick Watney (65) two shots back. All four frontrunners played at Pebble Beach, one of three courses used for the event.
Furyk arrived at Pebble Beach with an open mind about the state of his game.
“I didn’t really have any expectations,” he told Golf Channel. “I just wanted to come in, find my game and figure where I was at and I’ve been in a good frame of mind.
“I’ve found a way to get the ball in the hole this week even though maybe at times I didn’t hit the greatest shots.
He attributed that to being fresh and not playing for a while.
“I might not have been as sharp but my attitude’s been able to overcome some of that,” he said.
Jones looked like he would be sitting on the 54-hole lead when he reeled off six birdies in seven holes from his 10th hole (the first), but he missed shortish putts at his final two holes.
Snedeker, who shared the halfway lead with Jones, was steady rather than spectacular, notching six birdies and one bogey for his 16th consecutive round of par or better.