Fernando loses crown by 1 shot

MANILA, Philippines - Anthony Fernando failed to sustain his fightback in the last four holes, holing out with a bogey for a 70 to lose the Sabah Masters crown by one to Thai Wisut Artjanawat, who fired a 66 at the Sutera Harbour Golf Club in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia yesterday.

Three shots behind the Filipino bet at the start of the final round, Artjanawat made an early charge with five birdies in the first 10 holes to seize control then hung tough in the closing holes to close out with a four-under card and a 278 total and edge Fernando and Malaysian Nicholas Fung, who had 279s, by one for the crown.

Fernando fell by as many as three strokes but came through with back-to-back birdies from No. 15 to threaten within one. But the former national champion missed the tough 18th green and flubbed a par putt from 15 feet, settling for joint runner-up honors with Fung, who carded a 69.