Australia clinch Nomura Cup
Play
Joint leaders Thailand played dismally on the final day, shooting 215 for a total of 842 to settle for third place behind winners Australia and South Korea in the Nomura Cup at the Santiburi Country Club in Chiang Rai yesterday.
After sharing the third round lead with Australia on Saturday with 21-under-par 627, the national SEA Games squad of Danthai Boonma, Natipong Srithong, Poom Saksansin and Nattawat Suvajanakorn put up their worst combined score of the week of one under 215 for 22-under 842. It was so near yet so far for the hosts, who held the third round lead for the first time in the tournament’s 50-year history.
Australian’s Cameron Davis, Deoff Drakeford, Taylor MacDonald and Aaron Wilkin shot 66, 67, 68 and 69 respectively for the tournament’s round lowest of 15-under-par 201 and a total of 36-under 828 to claim the victory. South Korea came second with a total of 837.
Drakeford and MacDonald also shared the individual title along with South Korea’s Kim Nam-hun after each hit 11-under-par 277. Following two strokes behind at lone fourth was South Korean Lee Chang-woo while Joshua Munn of New Zealand, Dou Zecheng of China and overnight leader Lee Chieh-Po were tied at fifth with 280s.
Thailand’s best position was taken by Natipong and Poom who shot 263 to share 13th place with China’s Jin Cheng and Australia’s Aaron Wilkin.
The tournament had 104 golfers from 26 nations.
