Tabuena just misses outright Open berth

Late bogey costs Miguel Tabuena (photo above) the fourth ticket to the British Open. —ASIAN TOUR PHOTO

Taichi Kho overcame final-round nerves on Sunday to become the first Hong Kong player to win an Asian Tour event at rain-shortened World City Championship, where the Philippines’ Miguel Tabuena checked in tied for fourth and missed an outright British Open slot after a late bogey.

Kho, who turned professional in January, closed out with a level par-70 to tally a 54-hole 198 and win the P1 million event by two shots over Australia’s Michael Hendry, who fired a 68.

Tabuena, meanwhile, stumbled with a 72 for another hefty paycheck, but a tie for fourth spot with South Korea’s Bio Kim at 202 denied the Philippine ace of automatic qualification at Royal Liverpool in June by virtue of a lower world ranking compared to Kim.

The tournament staked four outright slots to the Open, where Cam Smith of Australia will defend his crown.

Tabuena started the resumption of the third round four strokes behind Kho in second spot, and he was well on the way to going to the Open until a costly bogey on the par-4 15th, coupled with Kim birdying two of his last three holes to shoot a 65, did the Filipino ace in.

Still, it was another great week for Tabuena, who finished tied for 22nd in Thailand and won The DGC Open in India last week. He takes a two-week break before playing in the International Series Vietnam.