Sarit takes Indonesian title but Asian Tour Order of Merit crown goes to Kim

It was hard to tell whose smile was the brightest at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club yesterday – Sihwan Kim who wrapped up the Asian Tour Order of Merit title, or Sarit Suwannarut after an emphatic four-shot win at the Indonesian Masters.

Sarit’s closing round of fourunder-par 68 left him 20 under overall in the final International Series event of the year, with India’s Anirban Lahiri second on 16 under. Taiwan’s Chan Shihchang and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell finished in a tie for third a shot further back.

Kim’s two-under 70 left him in a tie for 28th, which was enough to seal the finest season of his 11-year professional career.

The American finished the year with US$627,458 in earnings, with Bio Kim from South Korea ending in second place, having earned US$599,609. Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent was third on US$517,845.

Vincent finished in a group tied for 10th, which also included Scott Hend, and that was enough to secure him the International Series Order of Merit title. Hend had begun the week outside the top 60 and in danger of losing his card, but the US$24,720 he took lifted him to 56.

The weather had a final say yesterday when lightning stopped play with Sarit having two holes left to play and with a comfortable five-shot lead. Play resumed after about an hour with the rising Thai star able to par his way home.

“I think I almost cried coming down the 18th,” Sarit said. “I just can’t put into words how I feel. I am just happy. I didn’t feel the pressure that much, I was just enjoying my game. I have just enjoyed the whole week.”

Sihwan Kim’s delight was tempered with relief that the season was finally done, and he said he could not “wait to get some rest”.

The 34-year-old started the season in brilliant fashion by winning the International Series Thailand in February, which was his maiden professional victory and also the first ever International Series event to be played.

He followed that up by winning the Trust Golf Asian Mixed Stableford Challenge, also in Thailand, in April.

A midseason loss of form, when he was battling some swing demons and a stray driver, saw him relinquish top spot on the Order of Merit to Bio Kim but a third-place finish in the International Series Egypt last month saw him regain first place.

“Yeah, right at the start [of] the year I was kind of playing bad, and in Singapore in January I got it done somehow at Sentosa and then just upped my game,” he said.