Putra Cuppers finish 2nd, barely

Playing its worst round in the 50th Putra Cup yesterday, the Philippines barely clung to second spot and finished a distant 16 strokes off repeat champion Thailand at the Royal Selangor Golf Club in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.   Starting the day just six shots off the Thais, the Filipinos never got it going as conditions were at their toughest with continuous rains making the layout play longer and with difficult pin positions yielding disastrous results on aggressive plays.   Jonel Ababa paced the Philippines for the second straight day with a one-over-par 73, Jessie Balasabas returned a 76, but Mark Fernando lost his cool on the ninth hole and eventually checked in with a 77 to round out a closing 226 for 880.   Atthachai Jaichalad churned out a 70 and Poom Saksansin matched par as the duo led the Thais’ final-round onslaught of 216 for an 864 total. Wasin Sripattranusorn shot a 74 for the final Thailand score.   The 77 of Suparkorn Utaipat did not count.   Singapore came ominously close to unseating the Filipinos in second spot, drawing a 69 from Johnson Poh, a 71 from Gregory Foo 71 and a 72 from Choo Tse Huang.   The 2008 champion Singaporeans ended up finishing four strokes behind the RP squad backed by ICTSI, National Golf Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Sports Commission.   “Bottom line is the boys just never got to play well,” non-playing captain Tommy Manotoc said in an overseas call to the Inquirer. “We have no excuses. They (Thais) were the better team.”   Fernando nursed a five-stroke lead on his flightmate Utaipat heading into the ninth hole.   But the Filipino spearhead lost his ball on the left rough off the tee despite the presence of a forecaddie and paid a two-stroke penalty for it.   Meanwhile, the Philippines’ 18-under boys’ squad averted a Thailand sweep of the tournament, but not after almost blowing a 19-point overnight lead in Lion City Cup action.   Reigning RP Amateur champion Clyde Mondilla got disqualified for hitting a shot before the horn signaling resumption of play after a long rain delay.   That meant that the Philippines had to count the 82 of Miggy Yee together with the 71 of Jobim Carlos and the 78 of Andres Saldana as the Filipinos posted 231 for 893, just four strokes ahead of Thailand.   It was the first victory in the division for the Filipinos, even as the ladies’ team won second place by a stroke over Malaysia after Chihiro Ikeda was disqualified for signing the wrong scorecard.   Irina Gabasa carried the fight for the Filipinas with a 72 as the Philippines tallied 893, 11 strokes off winner Thailand.