HANGZHOU – Thailand’s world No. 206 Arpichaya Yubol claimed an unlikely gold medal in the women’s golf at the Asian Games with a two-stroke win on Sunday, as India’s 47th-ranked Aditi Ashok surrendered a seven-shot lead to settle for silver.
Arpichaya shot a four-under 68 to finish with a 19-under 269 total at the West Lake International golf course, snatching the lead from Ashok at the par-three 16th when the Indian found water and crashed to a double-bogey.
The 21-year-old Thai then curled in a birdie putt on the 17th to take a two-stroke cushion into the last hole, where she tapped in for par for her biggest win.
Her victory also helped Thailand claim the women’s team gold, along with Eila Galitsky and Patcharajutar Kongkraphan.
“I’m so happy, and I made the Thai people proud that I can get two more gold medals,” she said.
Having shot a magical 61 in the third round – the finest round of her career – Ashok teed off on Sunday with a seven-shot lead, but ended up carding a five-over 77.
After bogeys on the third and sixth, she steadied with a birdie on the ninth but dropped further strokes at the 11th and 15th before disaster struck at the 16th. The 25-year-old admitted that she “kind of threw it away”, but is looking ahead to the Paris Olympics.
Singapore’s highest finisher was Koh Sock Hwee, who was joint-18th out of 20 with a three-over 291 after a final-day 77. Amanda Tan and Aloysa Atienza had missed the cut for the third round. The trio finished eighth in the team event.
There was another surprise winner in the men’s event, with Hong Kong’s Kho Taichi, 22, shooting a final-round 69 to hold off South Korea’s Im Sung-jae by a stroke with a 27-under 261 total.
The rookie professional tapped in the winning par putt on the 18th. He also helped secure a team bronze for Hong Kong, with South Korea claiming the gold and Thailand the silver.
Singapore’s men team of Gregory Foo, Koh Dengshan, James Leow and Ryan Ang finished fifth out of 10. In the individual event, Leow (68) and Ang (73) were joint-12th out of 40 on 14-under 274, while Koh (71) was 21st on 11 under and Foo (77) was 39th on five over.
REUTERS
