Nattawat Suvajanakorn, right, with Kritchayapol Sinchai.
Teenager Nattawat Suvajanakorn lived up to his top billing by clinching the overall title in the Thailand Junior World Golf Championship with a play-off victory at Royal Hua Hin Golf Course.
Young golfers from 20 countries including the United States, England and Australia played in the tournament, which featured four age classes each for boys and girls.
Buoyed by a seventh finish at the recent Asia-Pacific Amateur, the 16-year-old Nattawat signed off with an even par 72 in the final round of Boy's Class A for a six-under total of 282.
That put him level with two boys in Class B, compatriot Suradit Yongcharoenchai and Ryan Ruffels of Australia, meaning a play-off was required to decide the winner of the overall title.
All the three golfers managed to reach the green with two shots on the par-four 18th, but only Nattawat succeeded in his birdie attempt while the other two ended up with a par.
It proved to be a case of third time lucky for Nattawat after he lost twice in the play-off before.
"I'm glad to win the title. However, it would have been better if I had won it in regulation. If only I had holed my birdie effort on the final hole, we would not have needed a play-off.
"I made bogey, par, bogey and par at the 18th hole over four rounds but eventually got a birdie in the play-off. It's my first win in the play-off after losing in the first two. So, I'm very happy to finally break my duck," said Nattawat, who will represent Bangkok in next month's National Games in Chiang Mai.
Suradit and Ruffels needed to return to the tee on the 18th hole for a play-off to decide the winner of Boy's Class B, however the pair still finished level after playing the hole three times. They then moved to the par-four 10th, where the Australian emerged victorious.
Despite Suradit's heartbreaking play-off defeat, the hosts were able to establish a stranglehold on the tournament by sealing seven out of 12 titles available, including a clean sweep in both Class C and D.
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Article source: http://www.thethailandlinks.com/2012/11/13/nattawat-emerges-champion-after-play-off/
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