INQUIRER Sports

LIPA CITY?Closing out tournaments with brilliant final-hole play is nothing new to Angelo Que.

The veteran internationalist drained a six-foot par-saving putt on the 72nd hole to cap a 2-under-par 70 Saturday and win the Mercedes Benz Tour?s ICTSI Mt. Malarayat Championship by a shot.

Que, the reigning Philippine Open champion, nipped Thailand?s Nanchok Tantipokakul in securing his eighth pro win and his second at the Mt. Malarayat complex here with a 276 total.

Nanchok rallied with a 68 that boosted him past overnight leader Richard Sinfuego, who stumbled on the final hole with a wet double bogey for a 73.

Sinfuego, also the first round leader, finished tied for third at 278 with Thailand?s Wisut Artjanawat, who closed out with a 67 after dropping three strokes in the last two holes.

The win was worth about P380,000 out of the total pot of close to P2.4 million for Que, who was scheduled to fly to Japan last night to join the final phase of qualifying for this year?s US Open.

?It?s a confidence-builder, definitely,? Que, who also churned out a critical par-saver on the final hole of the RP Open in Wack Wack last year, told the Inquirer. ?It gives you the feeling that you know that you have the game to compete at a high level and win.?

Filipinos actually dominated the leaderboard with Michael Bibat and Jerome Delariarte finishing in a fifth place tie at 279 after rounds of 67 and 70, respectively.

Que?s victory followed the Asean Tour trend of local bets winning their respective tournaments after Mardam Mamat?s conquest of the first leg in Singapore and Kiradech Aphibarnrat?s victory in Thailand last month.

The decisive putt by Que, who also gunned down two birdies in the last five holes, came after a 35-yard chip from around the 18th green.

Que?s gutsy finish was in stark contrast with the horrible collapse of Sinfuego, who muffed a three-foot birdie putt on the 17th before launching an atrocious drive to the right that landed in a huge pond on the 18th.

The pocket-sized Artjanawat, playing in an earlier group, also self-destructed at the finish.

The winner of the Tagaytay Midlands leg over Que and Mars Pucay last year, Artjanawat lost his ball in the rough for a double bogey on the 17th before dropping another shot on the final hole after missing the green.

The leading final scores:
276?A. Que 68-66-72-70; 277?N. Tantipokakul (Tha) 71-69-69-68; 278?W. Artjanawat (Tha) 68-71-72-67, R. Sinfuego 66-69-70-73; 279?M. Bibat 71-70-71-67, J. Delariarte 69-68-72-70; 281?A. Prathummanee (Tha) 70-71-73-67, J. Bayron 72-70-70-69; 282?M. Dumandan 75-70-70-67, M. Pucay 69-71-71-71, P. Tipsanit (Tha) 74-68-69-71; 283?P. Visalkit (Tha) 69-75-71-68, P. Junhasavasdikul (Tha) 69-74-71-70