Pagunsan lucky to be seventh

MANILA, Philippines – Rey Pagunsan struggled with a closing-round of one-over-par 73 and wound up joint seventh at the end of the Mercedes-Benz Tour Masters Singapore won by local bet Mardan Mamat at the Laguna National Golf and Country Club course in Singapore yesterday.

Pagunsan finished with a four-day aggregate of five-under 283, nine strokes behind Mamat’s winning score of 69-274.

The Filipino, who had earlier rounds of 68-73-69, ended up joint seventh with Thailand’s Tanatchan Puaktes and Malaysian’s Siva Chandran.

Mamat closed out with a 69 for a three-stroke victory over Thailand’s Varut Chomchalam.

Varut returned a 66, while a stroke further back were defending champion Pariya Junhasavasdikul and Indonesia’s Rory Hie.

“It feels great to win. I was up against some really good young players like Rory, Varut and Pariya so this is an excellent result which has given me more confidence for the rest of the season,” said Mamat.

“Obviously I know the course very well so that is a big advantage and my ball striking was really good and so I am delighted about that,” added Mamat, who won the Singapore Masters on this course in 2006.