Thongchai Jaidee won his seventh European Tour title with a flawless final round showing at the Porsche European Open in Germany.
The Thai star led by one overnight, and ground down those chasing him with a steady rather than spectacular four under par 67.
Graeme Storm maintained the most substantial challenge, but found water off the 17th tee and, although he managed to save par from ten feet at the last, Jaidee clung on with a neat up-and-down at the 18th.
“It’s a very special week for me,” said Jaidee, “it is the third time I have won outside of Asia, so I’m very excited about that and I’m happy to win this tournament.
“I’m feeling very confident at the moment. I didn’t make many mistakes this week – only one bogey all week. I played very nicely and 17 under is some score for me.
“I liked the golf course. It’s not very long and you have to keep it in play.
“Graeme Storm played very well too. It was very exciting on the last three holes. The 18th is tough and you can’t miss the fairway. I had to go left and then it was a good chip and a good putt at the last to win.”
The Englishman also finished with a 67 which secures his card for next year, after the 37 year old started the week 127th on The Race to Dubai, with Sweden’s Pelle Edberg finishing third after a closing 69.
Jaidee was briefly involved in a four-way tie at the top with Storm, Swede Magnus A Carlsson and Denmark’s Søren Kjeldsen as the Scandinavian pair made good starts, but birdied the long third from close range to regain his advantage.
A ten foot effort on the eighth took him two clear, but Storm responded with gains on the ninth and tenth to make it a two-horse race down the back nine.
Storm birdied the par five 12th, but in the group behind Jaidee matched him to keep the pair locked together.
A great approach saw Storm birdie the 15th, but again the 45 year old Jaidee responded, and when Storm dropped his only shot of the weekend after finding water at the par three 17th Jaidee took full advantage by parring his way in for victory.
Despite missing out on a first European Tour since 2007, Storm was happy with his week’s efforts.
“I’m very pleased,” he said. “To finish second like in Switzerland last year is disappointing but I’ve secured my card and I’ve got a job again for next year.
“That was the main thing at the start of the week and today as well. Maybe I could have holed a few more putts and the title would be mine, but congratulations to Thongchai, he made a great up and down on the last.
“I felt I played great today under pressure. I was nervous out there.
“Yesterday I didn’t play great but I hung in there, but today I played great and missed a few chances. It wasn’t meant to be.
“The chip on the last was important. I didn’t want to make bogey there after 17. I knew Pelle was coming up 18 and he was going to be one behind if I missed that, so it was vital to finish second on my own and I’m looking forward to trying to qualify for The Race to Dubai final rather than having to go to Q-School.
“It’s amazing to think all of a sudden I might be able to qualify for that.”
