Early birthday gift for Thai veteran Prayad

Singapore

COINCIDENCE, it may have been. In the 51st staging of the SMBC Singapore Open, a soon-to-be 51-year-old snatched the major title at the Sentosa Golf Club on Sunday.

And destiny, it certainly was.

On a cool day made cooler by a light mid-day rain and wafting winds, many contenders felt the heat of competition at the closing stages of the US$1 million event and fell by the wayside.

That left Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand, who celebrates his birthday next Monday, to warm up to a celebratory climax and claim…