NEW DELHI, India — 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.
England’s Matthew Baldwin, meanwhile, celebrated his 200th World Tour event by winning a maiden title as he cruised to a seven-shot victory at the SDC Championship in South Africa.
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 according to AFP.
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.
After reluctantly holing out with a par, Tabuena agonisingly waited at scorer’s table for the last flight to finish then simply flashed a thumbs-up sign when Khan fell short of his eagle bid on the 72nd hole.
He took out his phone and rang his wife Sandra then linked it up with father Luigi, who has guided him.
Six shots behind at joint sixth with compatriot Justin Quiban and England’s Matt Killen, Tabuena worked his way with birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 then gained another stroke on the sixth for a 33.
He drained another birdie on the 10th but it was his putt from way out on the 12th that fired up the multi-titled PGT campaigner.
He knocked in another birdie from 12 feet on the 15th then set up that gimme birdie on the 16th to tie Khan at 11-under.
As Khan yielded the lead on No. 15, Tabuena two-putted for par on the par-3 17th then opted for conservative play on the last that produced solid results, only to muff a short birdie putt on the last.
Quiban, meanwhile, carded a second straight 73 and wound up tied at 14th at 284 while Lloyd Go matched par 72 for joint 21st at 286.
