Filipinos fall short of finishing in Nomura podium

Jet Hernandez—CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

The Philippines fought valiantly but came up short of a podium finish in the Nomura Cup on Friday as Hong Kong-China fended off Japan to complete a coast-to-coast victory at Bayhood No. 9 Golf Club in Beijing, China.

Jet Hernandez assembled a one-under-par 71, and Rolando Bregente scored a 73 to make up the Filipinos’ closing 144 for 570, landing 13 shots out of the winning score but good enough to beat traditional regional powers China, New Zealand, Australia, Thailand and dethroned champion Vietnam.

“I am very proud of how all of us battled even if we didn’t have our A-game the entire week,” said Hernandez, who went straight to the airport after his round for a flight back to Manila, where he packs his bags before flying to the United States to resume his psychology studies at the University of Denver.

Markus Zachary Lam fired a 67, and Ethan Tian accounted for a 69 as the Hong Kong-Chinese played their best round of the week to frustrate the Japanese, who got a 68 from Kaito Sato and a 70 from Taisei Nagasaki in carving out a 138.

South Korea also had a 138 like Japan after Joguk Jeong shot a 68 and Jeyi Son fired a 70, as it completed a rally that started in the third round, where it shot a 136, to finish ahead of the Filipinos for the bronze.

“We know we can compete with [the best countries in the region],” he went on. “We just have to continue putting ourselves in these situations.”

The Filipinos started the day just five shots out of the pace but just couldn’t hold it together in the back nine. Shinichi Suzuki, the national Match Play champion back home, closed out with a 77 and failed to count.

The trio knows this debacle only makes them tougher, with Suzuki and Bregente to campaign in the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in late October in New Zealand together with Jaden Dumdumaya.

“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we gave it our best till the very end,” said Suzuki, who finished one stroke ahead of Bregente individually with a 294 total. —INQUIRER SPORTS STAFF