Japan secures record-tying 10th victory in Nomura Cup; Pinoy bets end up 11th
Japan, behind the steady play of Yuta Sugiura, secured a record-tying 10th victory in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Team Championship after outplaying a gritty Singaporean side in the final round Friday, Nov. 18, at the Masters course of the Manila Southwoods Golf and Country Club in Carmona, Cavite.Â
Sugiura delivered the killing blows for the Team Japan with a bogey-free four-under-par 68 and Minato Oshima added a 71 for a 139 total that gave the Japanese a seven-stroke victory over Singapore which put up a bold challenge in the frontside but faded coming home.
Thus, Japan lifted the Nomura Cup for the third time in the last three stagings of the biennial event and joined Australia as the winningest teams with 10 championships apiece.
Korea finished third, defending champion Thailand settled for fourth this time, New Zealand finished fifth, Chinese-Taipei sixth, Malaysia, seventh, Australia eighth, Hong Kong ninth while India rounded out the top 10.
It was a double heartbreak for Singapore after James Leow double-bogeyed the 18th and yielded the individual title to Sugiura, who birdied the last hole for a three-shot swing and sweep of the major awards for Japan.
The Philippines could only land in 11th place after a 149 on the 72 and 77 of rookie internationalists Coby Rolida and Elee Bisera, respectively. Kristoffer Arevalo soared to an 80 and did not count.