Dimayuga roars to 4-stroke triumph in Singapore Open

MANILA, Philippines -- Enrique Dimayuga saved his best for last at the Dendra nine, a challenging course he had grappled with over the past three days, delivering a stunning performance with an eagle-spiked 32 and dominating the field to secure the Singapore Open Amateur crown at the Orchid Country Club.

His final round of six-under 67 culminated in a total score of 17-under 275, earning him a commanding four-stroke triumph over Australian Max Ford and Thai Thanawin Lee in a victory that marked him as the fifth Filipino to win Singapore’s premier amateur championship, joining the ranks of Golem Silverio (1967), Tommy Manotoc (1974), Gerald Rosales (1999), and Michael Bibat (2004).

Dimayuga, a Filipino-Briton who finished fifth in the individual competition at last year’s Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia, continued his winning streak this season. This victory adds to his impressive record of three consecutive individual championships in the University of Nevada's men's golf history.

But recently, he made an early career move to Southern Methodist University in Dallas for his senior year, aiming to benefit from one of college golf's most prestigious programs.

With a shaky two-stroke lead over Ford after 54 holes, Dimayuga birdied the first two holes of Aranda 9 to extend his advantage. Despite a birdie-bogey sequence at No. 7, he rebounded with a pitch-in eagle on the par-4 No. 2 of Dendra. This boosted his confidence, allowing him to dominate the subsequent holes and pick up additional strokes on Nos. 6 and 9, closing with a 35-32.

Ford fought valiantly, birdying No. 3 and executing a three-birdie run from No. 5, but ultimately ran out of holes, finishing with a 69 for a total of 279. He tied for second with Lee, who also carded a four-under at the par-73 Orchid course.

Bobe Salahog shot a 70 to tie for fifth place with Timothy Chan of Hong Kong, who rallied with a 68, both scoring 282.

Jet Hernandez finished 13th with a 288 after a 70, Jacod Rolida tied for 21st at 296 after a 77, Jolo Magcalayo tied for 23rd at 297 after a 74, and Tristan Padilla ended up joint 34th at 303 after a 76.

Patrick Tambalque and Rico See placed 41st and 42nd, scoring 307 and 308 respectively after rounds of 76 and 75.

In the women’s division, Grace Quintanilla secured third place with a 296 after a 75. Xingtong Cheng led from start to finish, triumphing with a total of 291 after a 75, four strokes ahead of Kritchanya Kaopattanaskul, who finished with a 295 after a 71.