SEOUL, Aug 24: Jeev Milkha Singh, the defending champion, failed to keep up the pressure today and finished a dismal joint 22nd in the US $500,000 Philip Morris Asia Cup gold tournament at Woo Jung Hills country club.
The other Indians in the field finished much lower down — Amritinder Singh (41st), Gaurav Ghei (49th), Vivek Bhandari & Amandeep Johl (52nd) and Arjun Atwal (72nd).
Jeev returned a card of three over par 75 to finish with an aggregate of 291 and win $5475. When he won the title last year, he had 74, 71 and 71 in the first three rounds. Tadashi Ezure of Japan, Ted Purdy of the United States, Kyi Ha Han of Myanmar also finished in the 22nd spot.
Amritinder Singh carded 74 for the second successive day and rounded off with 294 and a prize money of $3150.
Ghei totalled 296 after a round of 75 today and picked up $2,400, Amandeep Johl also struck 75 for 297 and a prize of $2000 while Arjun Atwal got $400 after finishing 72nd with 305.
Meanwhile, Korea’s Park No-Seok upset his more illustrious compatriot Park Nam-Sin to win in a last gasp finish in the Omega tour event. Park holed a 25-foot putt on the last for a birdie to pip Park Nam-Sin by a stroke.
Park Nam-Sin, playing in the final group with Park No-Seok, had a chance to force the tournament into overtime but narrowly missed his birdie attempt from 20 feet. The two players had started the final round tied for the lead on eight under and were in the hunt for the $80,750 first place cheque.
Park No-Seok’s final hole heroics gave him a one-under-par 71 for a four round total of nine-under-par 279 while Park Nam-Sin closed with a par 72.Both players struggled over the front nine with No-Seok leading by a stroke on seven under at the turn. An eagle on the 11th put Park Nam-Sin back on equal terms with No-Seok before they matched one another over the next seven holes.