Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee birdied the first play-off hole to beat Frenchman Victor Dubuisson and Scotsman Stephen Gallacher to clinch the Nordea Masters in Sweden.

The trio finished regulation play tied at 16-under-par and returned to the par-5 18th, where Jaidee played an exquisite pitch shot that spun to within three feet of the hole. When neither Dubuisson nor Gallacher could make their long birdie putts, the Thai golfer calmly slotted home the winning putt for his sixth European Tour title.

Nordea Masters - Day Four Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee kisses his first European Tour trophy since winning the Wales Open in 2012. PHOTO: Getty Images

Each man took a differing route to find themselves in the sudden-death play-off. Jaidee made six birdies and an eagle in a closing 65 to set the early mark before waiting for the last groups to match his 272 tally. Dubuisson, who had failed to birdie the par-5 closing hole all week, three-putted from off the green’s edge to par the hole once again, carding a 67 to finish 16-under. Conversely, Gallacher made his fourth birdie for the week at 18 to negate a bogey at the 17th and return to 16-under.

Playing in the final group, hometown hero Henrik Stenson could have joined the play-off with a last-hole birdie but duffed a chip shot into a bunker and bogeyed, dropping to fifth place.

Although a veteran of European golf, the versatile Jaidee prevailed in conditions and on a golf course far removed from his native Thailand. “I worked hard today,” he said. “I started with three birdies in a row, had another one on six, then a good comeback on 11 [with an eagle]. We were nervous the last few holes – 16, 17 and 18 are tough holes – but 16-under was good enough for a play-off.

“I thought 16-under would be second or third with the last hole being a par-5. Then you never know in a play-off. A play-off was good for me as I finished early so I was very lucky.”

Scoring was hot at PGA National Sweden for much of the week. The first-time venue at Malmo in southern Sweden – one of only two Tour stops in Scandinavia – drew a strong field, headlined by Stenson in his bid to unseat Adam Scott as World No.1.

LEADERBOARD

1. *Thongchai Jaidee (Thai)        69-70-68-65—272

T2. Victor Dubuisson (Fra)         69-69-67-67—272

T2. Stephen Gallacher (Sco)       67-72-65-68—272

4. Robert-Jan Derksen (Ned)      70-71-67-65—273

5. Henrik Stenson (Swe)             69-70-64-71—274

*Won on the first play-off hole

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T40. Richard Green (Vic)          72-69-76-67—284

T47. Wade Ormsby (SA)           69-74-72-70—285