With Bali victory, Thongchai sets Asian Tour wins record

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Thongchai Jaidee won his first European Tour title since 2005.

BALI, Indonesia (AP) -- Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee set a record for most wins on the Asian Tour and took his first European Tour title in four years with a victory Sunday in the jointly sanctioned Indonesia Open.

Thongchai shot a three-under 69 for a four-round total of 12-under 276 and his 11th win, putting him two strokes ahead of three European pursuers: English pair Steve Webster (68) and Simon Dyson (69) and Sweden's Alexander Noren (70).

Thongchai, who had a one-shot lead entering the round, set up his victory with three consecutive birdies from Nos. 3-5, which gave him a four-stroke buffer.

Bogeys on No. 8 and No. 14 cut that advantage to a single shot from Webster. A birdie on the 16th gave him some breathing room, and the Thai went on to become the first man ever to win 11 Asian Tour titles.

The world's No. 88-ranked player collected $207,742 and his first European Tour crown since the co-sanctioned Malaysian Open in 2005.

"It's my first time in Bali, and I've been enjoying myself. I'm very happy to win here," the 39-year-old Thongchai said.

Though accustomed to playing in the heat and humidity of his homeland, the former Thai army paratrooper still struggled with the punishing conditions in Bali.

"It was very hot, and my face is sunburned," Thongchai said. "I've never seen my face like this before. I'm used to playing under the heat back home, but this week it was extremely hot."

Dyson double bogeyed the 14th, before birdies at Nos. 16 and 18 lifted him back into a share of second.

"I just needed a bit of luck, and I didn't really get it," Dyson said. "But I'm probably playing the best golf I've ever played. I only missed two fairways and two greens over the past two days, so I know my game's in good enough shape."

Thongchai's win moves him into second in the early stages of the Asian Tour money race, behind American Anthony Kang, who won the Malaysian Open.