Hiratsuka wins dramatic playoff at Black Mountain, Chowrasia 40th

HUA HIN - Tetsuji Hiratsuka won a dramatic playoff at the Black Mountain Masters to take his third title of the year and bring down the curtain on the 2010 Asian Tour.

After missing a bunch of birdie putts ranging from five to 15 feet in regulation play, the 39-year-old Hiratsuka finally holed a three-foot par putt on the first play-off hole to hold off young Thai Namchoak Tantipokakul after both tied at 14-under 274.

Much before the heart-stopping finish, the Indians disappointed on the final day. SSP Chowrasia (73) ended in a tie for 40th at two-under 286 while Himmat Rai (74) was tied 63rd at seven-over 295.

Hiratsuka rounded off a stellar year in style. During the year he had five top-10s in Asia and eight top-10s in Japan, where in the past he has won five times in Japan, the last being the 2009 Crowns.

It took Hiratsuka nine years after turning pro to notch his first win in Japan. He played a year on Asian Tour in 1995 but without success. He now divides his time between Asian and Japan Tours and this year he had eight top-10s in Japan and five in Asia, which included three wins in Air Bagan, Queens Cup and now Black Mountain Masters.

The 23-year-old portly Namchoak, who lost five kilos in his attempt to become fitter, was in 65th place on the Money List at the start of the week. He was hoping for a decent result to get him inside 61 for the 2011 Asian Tour. Beginning with four birdies on the front nine, including three in a row from fourth to sixth, he had three more on the back nine, but missed an eighth birdie on 18th. His stunning bogey free 65 took him from overnight seven-under to 14-under.

Namchoak finished an hour earlier than Hiratsuka and then tensely waited for the next seven groups to finish to know his fate. Into the play-off both players went into the bunker and then stuck to safety first to get out. Namchoak then found the greenside bunker, while Hiratsuka put his approach behind the pin on the apron of the green.

The Thai blasted to five feet and Hiratsuka had a 20-footer to win, which he missed.

Thenn he missed his par to make a bogey and Hiratsuka holed his three-footer for the title.

Earlier in regulation play Hiratsuka time and again missed birdie putts and the final miss on 18th had Namchoak raise his hands up in glee as he got into the play-off.

Chowrasia once again squandered a good start that saw him land two birdies in first four holes. A triple bogey on the fifth following a careless tee shot and a visit to the bunker, where he duffed another, was followed by another bogey on the sixth. That set him back him a lot and even two birdies on 11th and 13th were not of much help. To make matters worse, he bogeyed the 15th and ended the day at 73 and the tournament at two-under 286.

Rai went through in 74 which included on e birdie and three bogeys.

I played well maybe not as well as the first day but I should have been much better,” said Rai.

In a week, where he needed a top-5 to gain his Tour card for next year, he ended at tied 63rd at seven-over. I will take the positives from the season and will hopefully play some starts on a country exemption, he added.

There was a four-way tie for the third place at 13-under, with overnight leader Piya Swangarunpron (73), sharing the spot with Scott Hend (65), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (66) and Lee Sung, who bogeyed the 18th and missed getting into the play-off.

On a fairly good scoring day, Namchoak and Hend brought in seven-under 65 each and Kiradech shot six-under 66, while Piya was the only player in top-18 to come back with an over-par round.

Thongchai Jaidee, who was in the hunt at the start of the back nine, messed up with a double bogey on 11th and bogey on 12th, but birdied the 18th to finish sole seventh. Local Hua Hin hero Prayad Marksaeng ((67), Alexander Noren (67), Thaworn Wiratchant (68) and Marcus Both (70) were tied for eighth at 11-under 277.