BANGKOK, Nov 23: India's Arjun Atwal, once again fell at the final hurdle, losing the title by a mere stroke to overnight joint leader Thailand's Prayad Marksaeng at the Lexus International Golf tournament here.

The Thai, who secured his second victory on the 1997 Omega Tour, fired seven birdies and a solitary bogey for a six-under par 66 and an 18-under winning aggregate, and collected the $ 32,300 winner's cheque ahead of Atwal, whose five-under 67 fetched him the runners-up prize of $ 22,260.

It was a good outing for the Indians. Vivek Bhandari, who fired a three-under 69 for an aggregate of 11-under 227, finished joint sixth, while Jyoti Randhawa shot a brilliant final round 66 (283) to finish joint 17th.

It was a superb performance from both Marksaeng and Atwal on a day when the lead changed hands no fewer than four times, before the Thai made sure of victory on the final green.

``My putting was the key today, and when I went up at the 6th, I was very confident of winning,'' said the 31-year-old Marksaeng, winner of Yokohama Singapore PGA Championship.

Having started the round as joint leaders, both players wasted little time getting into their stride, a pair of birdies at the first moving them to 13 under par and putting some daylight between them and the rest of the field.

By the seventh, however, Marksaeng was two up and memories returned of Atwal's final round in the Asia Pacific Ericsson Masters when he threw away a two-shot lead before finally finishing joint fifth.

But the 24-year-old Indian responded in magnificent fashion with an eagle on the par-5 7th, and another birdie on the 9th, to start the back nine one ahead of his rival.

The Thai drew level at the very next hole before taking the outright lead with a three-foot birdie on the 13th.

A two-shot turn around on the 15th, when Atwal made birdie to Marksaeng's bogey, saw the Indian move ahead once again, before Marksaeng made it all square with a six-foot birdie on 16 to set up the thrilling finish.

``I had a good chance to take the lead on the 17th but I missed a birdie putt from five feet,'' said Atwal, who moves into 21st place on the Order of Merit (OAM).

Marksaeng is now second in the OAM with $118,436 in prize money, while Mike Cunning consolidated his position on top with $141,849, after finishing fifth today.

Jeev stays in the hunt

MUMBAI: Chiranjeev Milkha Singh kept alive his hopes of getting a card to the European Professional Golfers Association (EPGA) Tour despite carding a two-over 74 in the second round of the EPGA Qualifying Tour School at San Roque on Saturday.

The Indian was leading the field at the end of the first round with a superb card of five-under 67, but fell to joint fourth spot with eight others after aggregating three-under 141 at the end of the second round, which could only be completed on Saturday because of heavy rains the day before.

Leading the field was the 6 feet 8.5 inches tall Englishman Adam Tillman, who followed up his four-under first round with a two-under 70 in the second.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.