Philippines' Miguel Tabuena poses for pictures with the trophy after winning the DGC Open 2023 golf tournament at the Delhi Golf Club in New Delhi on Sunday, March 19, 2023. - AFP
NEW DELHI, March 19, 2023 (AFP): Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines hit a scorching final-round 65 to race up the leaderboard and win the DGC Open crown of the Asian Tour at a storm-hit Delhi Golf Club on Sunday.
Local hope Rashid Khan was the overnight leader, three shots clear of the pack, but final round nerves undid the Indian who finished one stroke behind Tabuena in second place on 11 under par.
Tabuena was joint sixth going into the final day, six shots behind Khan, but a seven-under-par round of 65 that included a huge 50-foot putt on 12 clinched him his third Asian Tour victory.
The 28-year-old's round included seven birdies, four of them on the back nine, and two of those back-to-back.
"We won, Dad!" Tabuena told his jubilant father on a video call afterwards that was shared on the organisers' Twitter account.
With play halted for 20 minutes because of bad weather, Khan hit two bogeys on the back nine and even a birdie on the 18th was not enough to force a play-off.
Fellow Indian S. Chikkarangappa, who was the leader after two rounds, was second going into the final day but a two-over 74 meant he finished fourth behind Thailand's Chapchai Nirat in third.
S.S.P. Chawrasia, another Indian, was fifth, and in joint sixth were Suteepat Prateeptienchai of Thailand and the Indian trio of Gaganjeet Bhullar, Om Prakash Chouhan and Honey Baisoya.
Tabuena's previous Asian Tour wins were the Philippine Open in 2015 and the Queen's Cup in Thailand three years later. - AFP
