Thai Sherwood champ on last-hole birdie

ITTHIPAT Buranatanyarat of Thailand drained a seven-foot putt for birdie on the 72nd hole Saturday to turn back hard-fighting Filipino Orlan Sumcad and clinch the $60,000 ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic title in Cavite.

The former national amateur champion back home, Itthipat finally broke through as a pro while frustrating the long-hitting Sumcad, who earlier shot a hole-in-one on the 16th that gave the Filipino a one-stroke lead.

Buranatanyarat, the third-round leader, closed out with a level 72 for a 283 tally and completed the domination of foreigners in the two-leg stop of the Asean Development Tour after Malaysia’s Arie Irawan triumphed last week at Eagle Ridge.

The win was worth $10,500 for the Thai, who turned back several pursuers in the final day, including American Casey O’Toole.

Sumcad, who has been knocking on the door of a breakthrough win for the past three years, also finished with a 72 after a bogey on the 17th left  him a 284 total.

Sumcad actually had a chance to forge a playoff with a birdie try from 14 feet. But the Mount Malarayat bet in Lipa City muffed the putt and settled for the $6,900 runner-up’s purse.

O’Toole, who started the final round trailing by four shots, was third, another stroke behind Sumcad, after a 70.

The American had grabbed the lead with a birdie on the 12th but dropped a shot two holes later and then bogeyed the 18th.

Local legend Frankie Miñoza, after a disastrous 77 on Friday, rebounded with a 70 and finished at 286, tied with another American, joint first-round leader Paul Harris, who submitted a 71 on another trying day at the ravine-laden layout.

Cassius Casas, a former Philippine Open champion  like Miñoza, and who started the day just one shot behind like Sumcat,  went double bogey-par-bogey  in his first three holes and was never in contention.

The 48-year-old Casas, twice a winner on the local tour last season, closed out with a 77 for 289 like Japan’s Masaru Takahashi, who returned a 71.