Tabuena ties for 18th in Singapore Open

MANILA, Philippines — Miguel Tabuena closed out with a 70 and wound up tied at 18th in the Singapore Open ruled by Thai Jazz Janewattananond at Sentosa Golf Club’s Serapong Course.

Tabuena, who completed his third round stint with a birdie-bogey finish for a 68 early yesterday recovered from another bogey mishap on No. 3 with back-to-back birdies from No. 7. But he dropped another stroke on No. 12, missed a couple of birdie chances before nailing one on No. 18 for a pair of 35s.

Counting his 67-74 efforts in the first two days, the two-time Philippine Open champion pooled a 279 for joint 18th with five others, 13 strokes behind Janewattananond, who topped the elite field with an 18-under 266.

It was a sorry finish for Tabuena, who sparked hopes of a big finish after starting out with an impressive 67 for joint sixth Thursday. But he lost his touch in the second round and hobbled with a 74, struck back with a 68 in the next but just couldn’t come up with a stronger finish.

The Thai ace matched his third round 65 to clinch a two-stroke victory over England’s Paul Casey and Japanese Yoshinori Fujimoto, who assembled identical 268s after a 65 and 68, respectively.

Angelo Que also shot a 70 on four birdies against three bogeys and ended up tied at 24th at 280 with nine others. Jobim Carlos rebounded from three straight bogeys from No. 4 with birdies on the seventh and ninth as the reigning Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion carded a 72 for a share of 59th at 287.

Juvic Pagunsan matched par 71 on three birdies against the same number of bogeys as the former Asian Tour No. 1 finished way down at joint 64th at 289.

Last year’s winner Sergio Garcia of Spain fired a 68 to salvage a share of seventh at 276 while Davis Love II turned in a second straight 70 for joint ninth at 277.