Australian Scott Strange decisively won the Philippine Open with a five-shot victory on Sunday to hand him his second Asian Tour title.
Strange had only a one-shot lead going into the final round, but carded four birdies to finish clear of Korean rookie Park Jun-Won and record the best winning margin on the Asian Tour so far this season.
The 29-year-old also carded four bogeys but ended the day with a two-under-par 70 for a four-day total of 280.
"The weather was pretty exhausting, four days of it and to come through with this trophy and a win, I'm pretty excited about it," said Strange of the humid conditions. He received a 31,700-dollar winner's cheque. Park carded a five-under-par 67 on the Wack Wack Golf and Country Club's East course for a total of 285.
Taiwan's Yeh Chang-ting, compatriot Lu Wei-lan and Chris Rodgers of England tied for third with 286.
Rising star Juvic Pagunsan was the highest finishing local in tied sixth place with Australian Unho Park.
Local favourite Cookie Lao settled for eighth after a disappointing final round three-over-par 75.
Strange, last season's Myanmar Open champion, started the day with a birdie on the first hole and continued that form on the sixth, 11th and 12th holes.
"The first victory is always special but this one is just as special. To go wire to wire is even better. It feels pretty good," said Strange, who moved to 10th on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit. It was also a dream finish for Park, who fired six birdies including three in a row from the 13th. The nineteen year-old, who turned professsional in January after finishing sixth at Qualifying School, received some timely luck. Yeh bogeyed his final hole while Rodgers incurred a one-stroke penalty when he accidentally moved his ball with his marker on the 17th green for bogey.
"At the start of the day, I didn't think I would finish so low so I'm really excited as it's my best ever finish since turning professional," Park said.
Yeh, the 1993 champion, said he was disappointed with his performance.
"I didn't start too well with bogeys on the seventh and ninth holes and that set the tone for the round," said Yeh, who is a two-time winner in Asia.
Englishman Rodgers birdied his opening two holes to challenge early but his charge fizzled under the humid conditions.
"We struggled a bit and couldn't get the ball into the hole. It was flat really," said Rodgers, winner of this season's Qualifying School and Pakistan Open in January.
LEADING SCORES FROM THE FINAL ROUND:
-- 280 - Scott Strange (AUS) 68-70-72-70
-- 285 - Park Jun-won (KOR) 75-74-69-67
-- 286 - Chris Rodgers (ENG) 70-69-75-72, Lu Wei-lan (TPE) 69-74-72-71, Yeh Chang-ting (TPE) 69-69-73-75
-- 288 - Juvic Pagunsan (PHI) 72-70-74-72, Unho Park (AUS) 72-71-73-72
-- 289 - Jason Dawes (AUS) 70-75-74-70, Gary Simpson (AUS) 71-72-74-72, Hsieh Chin sheng (TPE) 71-73-71-74, Cookie Lao (PHI) 70-74-70-75
-- 290 - Gerald Rosales (PHI) 73-72-74-71, S.S.P. Chowrasia (IND) 74-72-71-73, Adam Porker (AUS) 73-72-71-74
-- 291 - Adam Le Vesconte (AUS) 74-76-70-71, Jason Knutzon (USA) 73-71-76-71, Barry Hume (SCO) 69-76-74-72
-- 292 - Alistair Presnell (AUS) 73-75-72-72, Jochen Lupprian (GER) 72-76-72-72, Gary Rusnak (USA) 73-74-73-72, Anthony Kang (USA) 72-72-74-74, Marcus Both (AUS) 73-70-74-75, Rick Gibson (CAN) 70-72-75-75, Richard Moir (AUS) 77-69-71-75, Angelo Que (PHI) 71-75-70-76
-- 294 - Marciano Pucay (PHI) 72-75-74-73, Airil Rizman Zahari (MAS) 73-70-78-73, Wang Ter-chang (TPE) 74-72-76-72, Elmer Salvador (PHI) 78-70-71-75, Uttam Singh Mundy (IND) 75-74-69-76.
Comments
Comments are closed.