KUALA LUMPUR – Feb. 21, 2005 – Thai star Thongchai Jaidee reached seventh heaven today when he held off India's Jyoti Randhawa and Swede Henrik Stenson to retain his US$1.21 million Carlsberg Malaysian Open title by three strokes.

The Asian Tour number one, who took a six shot lead into the final round, carded a two-under-par 70 to secure his seventh career title and matched Kang Wook-soon's most number of victories in the region. It was also the first time that the former paratrooper had won back-to-back triumphs in his glowing career.

Randhawa birdied the last hole en route to a 67 to finish runner-up and make it a memorable one-two sweep for the Asian Tour at the US$1.21 million championship, jointly sanctioned with the European Tour. Swede Stenson, who got to within two strokes of Thongchai, also closed with a 67 to finish a further stroke back in third place. Irishman Paul McGinley and another Swede, Niclas Fasth, shared fourth position.

"I'm feeling very good right now. I was looking for a good week after missing the cut in Singapore last month. It feels fantastic. This win is better than last year," said Thongchai, who compiled a winning total of 21-under-par 267. "As the defending champion, winning again feels very good. This is the first time I've regained a title and this is also my second European Tour triumph. I like this Saujana course."

Thongchai's success marked another great chapter in his impressive career, which started as a 13 year old playing with a makeshift three iron stuck on a bamboo stick. Victory was worth US$201,660 and hauled him back to his familiar place at the top of the Asian Tour Order of Merit. But it did not come easy. His overnight six-shot lead dwindled to two strokes at one stage with the fast-charging Randhawa and Stenson launching a title challenge. However the Thai, decked in his lucky red tee-shirt, held his nerve and sealed it with a birdie on the par three 16th, which is proving to be his lucky hole as he had aced the same hole en route to his triumph 12 months ago.

After starting strongly with birdies on the fourth and sixth, Thongchai dropped a bogey on the ninth after finding the greenside trap. With Randhawa and Stenson lurking, the pressure was on and Thongchai made life difficult by hooking his drive into out of bounds on the 11th. He courageously birdied his second ball for a bogey five as Stenson, who turned in 32, narrowed the gap to two. But the Swede's charge faltered on the par five 14th with a bogey after nearly finding water with his approach shot.

Randhawa, playing in the same group with Thongchai, was four under for the day through 13 but his momentum halted, no thanks to a 10-foot birdie attempt that lipped out. Leading by three heading to the tricky 16th, Thongchai knocked his tee shot to 12 feet of the flag and rolled in the birdie putt which killed off his challengers' hopes.

"Standing on the bogey putt on 11, I told myself I needed to make that as it was getting close. It was a great bogey. It then turned for me on 16 when I made birdie. I think I won it there," said the Thai, who also earned a spot to play in the WGC-NEC Invitational with the success.

Randhawa paid tribute to the man who also beat him to last year's Asian Tour Order of Merit crown. "I gave it a go. I came back strongly in mid-round with some birdies. But after missing the birdie on 14, I didn't really have a chance. Thongchai is a great player. He did lose it a bit with some bogeys and missing a few birdies. But he made a great recovery on 11 after hitting it to out of bounds. I thought we could have a chance as he was looking at a possible six there. But he recovered well with a five. He's a good player and he played well," said Randhawa.

Thailand's Prom Meesawat shot a closing 73 to finish in tied sixth place on 277 and while China's Liang Wen-chong enjoyed another strong outing with an equal eighth finish on 278. Spaniard Miguel Angel Jimenez finished strongly with a 69 for tied sixth place while Irish star Padraig Harrington, playing in the final group, faded to a 74 and settled for tied eighth position.

Leading final round scores
267 - Thongchai Jaidee (THA) 64-66-67-70
270 - Jyoti Randhawa (IND) 70-68-65-67
271 - Henrik Stenson (SWE) 69-64-71-67
276 - Paul Mcginley (IRL) 68-70-70-68, Niclas Fasth (SWE) 67-70-71-68
277 - Miguel Angel Jiménez (ESP) 68-67-73-69, Prom Meesawat (THA) 68-65-71-73
278 - Gary Orr (SCO) 71-69-70-68, Liang Wen-chong (CHN) 70-70-69-69, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 71-66-67-74
279 - Scott Barr (AUS) 73-71-67-68, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 69-70-71-69, Simon Yates (SCO) 69-69-69-72
280 - Graeme Storm (ENG) 71-72-69-68, Adam Blyth (AUS) 69-71-70-70, Simon Dyson (ENG) 68-68-73-71, Anders Hansen (DEN) 69-68-72-71, Pelle Edberg (SWE) 67-69-71-73
281 - Greg Hanrahan (USA) 71-73-69-68, Francois Delamontagne (FRA) 69-70-71-71, Terry Pilkadaris (AUS) 67-76-67-71, Mattias Eliasson (SWE) 71-70-73-67, Peter Gustafsson (SWE) 70-65-72-74, Robert-Jan Derksen (NDL) 71-69-67-74
282 - Maarten Lafeber (NDL) 69-68-72-73, Marcus Fraser (AUS) 73-71-70-68, Thomas BjÃrn (DEN) 68-64-73-77
283 - Danny Chia (MAS) 73-70-70-70, Rick Gibson (CAN) 73-68-70-72, Peter Lawrie (IRL) 71-70-70-72, James Kingston (RSA) 75-69-70-69, Simon Wakefield (ENG) 70-74-70-69, Chawalit Plaphol (THA) 73-70-74-66, Stuart Manley (WAL) 70-71-66-76

Contact:
Chuah Choo Chiang
603 7845 4146
chuah@asiantour.com