Que finishes T-16th as Kim takes crown in Singapore

MANILA, Philippines — Angelo Que found his range coming off one of his worst rounds in years, fighting back with a two-under 70 to salvage a share of 16th in the Singapore International ruled by rising Korean Kim Joo Jyung via playoff over Thai Rattanon Wannasrichan at the Tanah Merah Country Club Sunday.

Que rode on a strong frontside start he spiked with closing back-to-back birdies then negated a bogey mishap on No. 10 with a birdie on the last hole as he finished with a 34-36 in another punishing day at the wind-raked Tampines course.

It was 10 strokes better than his disastrous third round output that pulled him down from joint fourth to a share of 29th but the former three-time Asian Tour winner battled back with a closing five-birdie, three-bogey round to regain some measure of confidence heading to this week’s Singapore Open at Sentosa’s Serapong layout.

He, however, continued to grapple with his long game, missing seven fairways for the second straight day. He also missed five greens but made up for his previous 35-putt performance with 30 putts, including a couple of par saves.

Counting his 72, 71 and 80, Que wound up with a five-over 293 for a share of 16th with Thai Phachara Khongwatmai, who also carded a 70, Rory Hie of Indonesia and Korean Doyeob Mun, who shot identical 71s, and Richard Lee of Canada, who sizzled with a 67. Each received $12,670.

"I got it going today, so it's a very positive feeling," said Que, who rued his third round struggle marred by two double bogeys that ruined his title bid.

"I hit some good shots at the front (in the third round) but my putting went off at the back and hit a pair of loose shots and paid with two double bogeys," he recalled. "But my putting still was off and that's the story."

Que and company finished 9 strokes behind as Kim and Wannasrichan wound up with identical 284s after a 70 and 72, respectively.

The Thai actually rallied from two down with two holes to go to force a playoff, pouncing on Kim’s bogey on the 17th before birdying the last hole. But the Korean put his act together in sudden death to snatch the win.

Que, meanwhile, hopes his strong finish would augur well to his title drive in the Singapore Open which gets under way Thursday, a $1.2 million event serving as the final leg of the integrated 2020-21-22 Asian Tour season.

The victory, his second Asian Tour feat after winning the Panasonic Open in 2019, not only netted Kim the top purse of $180,000 but also the top spot in the Asian Tour Order of Merit crown heading to the final tournament in the integrated 2020-21-22 seasons – the Singapore Open firing off Thursday.

The 19-year-old Kim, who also became the youngest winner at 16 of The Country Club Invitational in 2019, nine month after scoring a breakthrough win on the Philippine Golf Tour at Pueblo de Oro, thus moved from No. 3 to No. 1 as he hiked his earnings to $399,428 as erstwhile frontrunner Wade Ormsby of Australia slipped to second with $270,153 after earning $19,600 for finishing joint eighth at 292 after a 70.

Thai Phachara Khongwatmai dropped to third in the OOM derby with $253,7320 after finishing at tied 16th, also after a two-under round.

Kim bucked a two-stroke deficit and a bogey on No. 5 with three straight birdies from No. 7 then rebounded from a bogey on the 10th with key birdies on Nos. 11 and 14 before wavering at the finish to enable Wannasrichan to force a playoff.

Wannasrichan, meanwhile, blew his lead with bogeys in the first two holes but regained it with birdies on Nos. 8 and 11, only to yield it again with a bogey on the 12th. He failed to gain any stroke in the last five holes but got a chance when Kim bogeyed the 17th, making the most of the opportunity to birdie the closing hole.

Ratchanon Chantananuwat, 14, actually overhauled a five-shot deficit with a fiery frontside 31 and looked headed to nailing the biggest win of his young career by seizing control with a birdie on No. 11. But he cracked when the going got tough, dropping strokes in the next two holes to fall behind again then blowing it all with a double bogey on No. 17. He birdied the 18th to save a 69 for third at 286.