Victory earns Jazz ticket to Masters

Victory earns Jazz ticket to Masters

Gunn comes 2nd at Indonesian Masters

JAKARTA: Thai rising star Jazz Janewattananond made his remarkable season even more memorable when he secured his fifth Asian Tour victory and a third one this season at the Indonesian Masters on Sunday.

The 24-year-old Jazz, who sealed the 2019 Asian Tour Order of Merit crown last week, signed for a closing seven-under-par 65 and a four-day total of 23-under 265 to win by five shots over countryman Gunn Charoenkul at the Royale Jakarta Golf Club.

With a total of 20 Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) points on offer at the BNI Indonesian Masters, which is the flagship event of the Asian Tour, Jazz is set to break into the world's top-50 following his victory and secure a coveted berth at The Masters next April.

"It's very good to to win the flagship event of the Asian tour. It's the biggest full-field Asian Tour event of the year. All the good players are here and everyone's trying to win. It will be a good ending to my season although I still have another tournament to go next week," said Jazz.

Starting the day with a one-shot lead, Jazz reeled in five straight pars before sinking three birdies to turn in 33. He pulled four shots clear after striking a brilliant approach shot to three feet en route to a second straight eagle on the 574-yard par-five 12th hole.

Jazz sealed the deal with three birdies against one bogey in his closing five holes to become the second Thai following Poom Saksansin to triumph in the US$750,000 event.

At the age of 24, Jazz is also the youngest player to achieve five victories on the Asian Tour. He is the third Thai, following Thongchai Jaidee in 2009 and Kiradech Aphibarnrat in 2015, to break into the world's top-50.

Jazz took home a winner's prize purse of $135,000 and bring his season's haul to $968,524 and break the $2 million mark in his career earnings on the Asian Tour.

He has also secured a berth at the World Golf Championships -- FedEx St Jude Invitational in 2020 -- thanks to his victory at the Indonesian showpiece, which celebrated its ninth consecutive edition on the Asian Tour this week.

Gunn posted a 69 to finish second while South Korea's Kim Tae-Woo and Australian Josh Younger carded respective rounds of 65 and 66 to share third place on 271. Kim and Young are set to break into top-60 on the Merit rankings, giving themselves a chance to secure their cards for the 2020 season.

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