Delos Santos posts 67 to clinch Asian Tour card

MANILA, Philippines — Justin delos Santos literally saved his best for last, birdying three of the last four holes at the front, including No. 9, to save a solid 67 and clinch one of the last Asian Tour cards staked in the Final Qualifying Stage in Hua Hin, Thailand Sunday.

But Justin Quiban blew his own bid as he wavered with a 72 and tumbled from joint 21st to a share of 53rd at the close of the exacting 90-hole elims where the Top 35 plus ties earned playing rights for this year's edition of the region’s premier circuit boasting of 11 money-rich events in the first 14 weeks, starting with next month’s stellar $5 million Saudi International.

Aussie Jack Thompson capped his surge with a five-under 66 to earn low medal honors with a 333, two strokes clear of a rallying Zhengkai Bai of China, who fired a 65 to tie John Lyras, also of Australia, at 335 after the latter carded a 68 at Lake View’s A/B course.

But nine players from the 77-player surviving field took the spotlight as they scrambled for joint 34th at 347.

It was delos Santos, however, who produced the most stirring closing round he spiked with a brilliant 32 in the last nine holes at the front to jump from a share of 69th.

The Japan Tour campaigner stayed too far behind the Top 35 group with a backside 35 start at the par-71 layout. But he birdied the second hole and snapped a three-par run with birdies on Nos. 6, 7 and 9 for his best card in five rounds.

Delos Santos, a product of California Polytechnic State U, never got going despite a pair of 71 starts and reeled farther back in the standings with a third round 72. But he struck with a 67 Saturday to make the second cut although he remained way off contention with five straight pars to start the final round.

But he birdied the 16th and picked up another stroke on the 18th then kept his focus and nerves the rest of the way to churn out a flawless round in a pressure-packed finish.

Delos Santos actually grappled with his driver, hitting just six fairways but he made up with clutch iron shots, reaching all but three greens, and capped his superb short game by finishing with 29 putts.

Other 347 scorers were Thomas Horan of Australia, Ren Yonezawa of Japan and Korean Jonghark Kim, who matched 67s, Thai Jakraphan Premisirigorn and American Matthew Negri, who turned in identical 68s, Ho Yu Cheng of Taiwan (69), Jack Harrison, also of England (70), and Ben Jones of England (73).

Meanwhile, six holes away from a coveted card, Quiban cracked and stumbled with a triple-bogey on the par-3 No. 14, ending up with a one-over card and yielding his spot in the Top 35.

Birdies on Nos. 4 and 12 gave Quiban a running nine-under aggregate, one stroke better than the cutoff score. But the Filipino bidder lost his momentum and dropped a stroke on the 13th then lost his focus after a couple of mishits on the par-3 No. 14 that led to a 6.

He did recover with a birdie on the par-5 next but bogeyed the 16th and settled for closing pars for a 35-37 and a 90-hole total of six-under 349.

It was a sorry windup for the two-time Philippine Golf Tour winner, who zeroed in on his target finish with a 68 Saturday that put him at tied 21st.

Going six-of-seven off the mound and missing just one green, Quiban made the turn at one-under 35 anchored on a 17-putt stint. But just when he had thought he had the par-71 layout all figured out after another birdie on the 12th, disaster struck as he failed to get up-and-down and bogeyed the 13th and needed three extra shots to hole out on the par-3 No. 14.