MANILA, Philippines — Miguel Tabuena holed out with a bogey on the tough finishing par-5 hole and settled for a two-under 70, ending up tied at 17th in the Indonesian Masters ruled by Thai Sarit Suwannarut in imposing fashion in Jakarta Saturday.
Suwannarut capped his explosive week with an eagle-spiked 68 as he routed the field by four with a 20-under 268 total that included rounds of 66 and a pair of 67s.
India’s Anirban Lahiri birdied the last hole to fire a 66 and snatch runner-up honors from Taiwanese Chan Shih-chang and Northern Ireland’s Graeme McDowell with a 272. Chan and McDowell finished with identical 69s for 273s.
Tabuena looked headed for a big finish to the season-ending $1.5 million Asian Tour championship after breaking a par-game with three birdies in an eight-hole stretch from No. 8.
But after parring the 17th, he missed the 18th green which he birdied in the past two days, and ended up with a 6 for a pair of 35s.
The ICTSI-backed shotmaker wound up with an eight-under 280 for a share of 17th with Aussie Travis Smythn and Ben Jones of England, who fired a 66 and 70, respectively, in the event that lured luminaries McDowell, Englishman Lee Westwood and South African Ernie Els.
Westwood carded a 71 for solo ninth at 277 while Els, the former world No. 1 and winner of four Majors, shot a second straight 73 and finished tied at 56th at 288.
Juvic Pagunsan, meanwhile, failed to rebound from a third round 75, finishing with a 72 for a 289 for joint 61st while Angelo Que skied to a 77 and limped to 68th with a 293.
It was actually Tabuena’s best finish in the region’s premier circuit this year while battling injuries, besting his 19th place effort in last week’s Bangladesh Open.
He missed the cut just once in 11 tournaments, in Shinhan Donghae Open in Japan despite 70-71, but just couldn’t produce the desire results in the weekend plays of the 10 other events.
Tabuena, who topped the kickoff leg of this year’s Philippine Golf Tour at Luisita last March, also withdrew in the third round of the Korea Open.