Enrique Dimayuga carded a five-under-par 67 in the rain-delayed final round today as the Philippines pulled off a stunning double victory at the Putra Cup in Singapore.
Returning for a national team duty after the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games two years ago, the London-based Dimayuga played two weeks of solid golf in the Lion City that started with his capture of the Singapore Open Amateur Championship last week.
At the Putra Cup, Dimayuga was simply sensational.
He dropped an eagle and seven birdies in his first 15 holes at the Seletar Country Club and won the individual battle with local bet Ryan Ang despite bogeying the last three holes played under steady rain.
Dimayuga and Ang, scoring a 68, both ended up at 277 but the Fil-Briton prevailed in the countback.
The 22-year-old Dimayuga’s heroics also enabled the Philippines to end a long victory drought since its 2013 victory led by Rico Hoey who is now proudly flying the Philippine flag on the PGA Tour.
Carl Corpus added a one-under 71 on a birdie-birdie finish and Shinichi Suzuki made up for Jet Hernandez’s final round woes by checking in with the third score of the team – a 73 – after failing to contribute in the first three rounds.
The Philippines wound up with a 17 under 847 aggregate that was too tough to handle for the field. Vietnam finished second at 857 and powerhouse Thailand came in third at 859.
An elated National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP) president Martin Lorenzo paid tribute to the hardwork and dedication of the Philippines quartet.
“Congratulations to our winning team! Your exceptional achievement has made The Philippines proud. To everyone who represented our country, your dedication and hard work are truly commendable. Each of you has contributed to this success and showcased the spirit of excellence. Thank you for your passion and perseverance,” Lorenzo said.
