"Prayat" starts the new season of the Thai Senior Tour with an 11-under-par score, capturing the championship at the "Sunward Thai Senior Championship Segiwa Cup 2026" and winning 200,000 baht.
Prayat Maksaeng, a 60-year-old golfer, demonstrated his strong skills as he launched the new 2026 Thai Senior Golf Tour season by winning the "Sunward Thai Senior Championship Segiwa Cup 2026". He added 2 under par 70 in the final round for a total of 11 under par 205 and earned 200,000 baht in prize money. He finished 5 strokes ahead of joint second-place finishers Chaowalit Pholaphol, Rangsarn Raksomjit, and Udon Duangdecha, who all scored 6 under par 210, after the final round at Legacy Golf Club.
This event was organized by the Thai Senior Professional Golf Association as a 54-hole stroke play competition over three days. After the first 36 holes, golfers ranked 60th and below were cut to qualify for the final round competing for the prize money. The tournament took place at the par-72 Legacy Golf Club and was supported by the Sports Authority of Thailand, the National Sports Development Fund, Sunward Security Company, Segiwa, and others.
On 19 February 2026, the final day of the tournament, legendary 60-year-old golfer Prayat Maksaeng, a former four-time number one on the Japan Senior Tour, came from behind after the second round to lead. He played steadily on the last day, making four birdies at holes 2, 6, 15, and 17, and two bogeys at holes 3 and 12.
Notably, at the par-3 17th hole, although his tee shot missed the green and landed in a bunker, he chose to chip from 20 yards and made a birdie to solidify his commanding victory. He finished the round with a tap-in par on the 18th hole amid loud cheers, closing with an 11-under-par 205 total and a five-stroke lead over the joint runners-up, earning the 200,000 baht prize.
After the game, Prayat said, "I am very happy to have finally succeeded. Today my serves were good, but I still faced putting challenges as before. Fortunately, I stayed focused on the game and did not lose concentration easily. I admit I am tired but still able to compete because my distance remains good. Also, I have practiced here for a long time. Next, I am preparing to compete in Phuket on 2 March."
Meanwhile, Chaowalit Pholaphol, Rangsarn Raksomjit, and Udon Duangdecha tied for second place with a total score of 6 under par 210, each receiving 93,333 baht in prize money. Thammanoon Srirot placed fifth with 5 under par 211, earning 60,000 baht. Thaworn Wiratchan, Kim Jin-soop from South Korea, and Yoshinobu Tsukada from Japan tied for sixth place at 4 under par 212, each sharing 46,000 baht.
Summary of the competition results
(-11) Prayat Maksaeng (67, 68, 70)
(-6) Chaowalit Pholaphol (66, 74, 70), Rangsarn Raksomjit (69, 72, 69), Udon Duangdecha (68, 73, 69)
(-5) Thammanoon Srirot (70, 70, 71)
(-4) Thaworn Wiratchan (73, 70, 69), Kim Jin-soop (South Korea) (71, 70, 71), Yoshinobu Tsukada (Japan) (68, 72, 72)
(-3) Makoto Onodera (Japan) (69, 71, 73), Shinichi Yokota (Japan) (69, 71, 73)