Scott Hend of Australia secured his maiden title on the Asian Tour with a three-stroke triumph at the Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational in Jakarta yesterday.
The big-hitting Australian nailed a solid six-under-par 66 under tough conditions at the Damai Indah Golf and Country Club for a 16-under 272 total and a three-shot win over joint overnight leader Lin Wen-tang of Chinese Taipei, who shot a 74 in lone second place.
Hend walked away with the top prize of US$63,400, rising to 10th place on the Asian Tour's Order of Merit with total earnings of US$210,917.
"I had a few runner-up finishes which is nice financially but there is nothing like winning a tournament, it is truly satisfying," said Hend, who had two runner-up finishes in his maiden season last year coupled with a second-place result at the Sail Open in India this season.
The former US PGA Tour player, who was five strokes off the pace heading into the final round, was three-under after 12 holes before an eagle at the par five 13th hole placed him within a stroke of Lin. The Chinese Taipei golfer found the water for a double bogey on the par three 15th as Hend parred to take the lead. He secured the title with a final birdie on the 17th.
Filipino Mars Pucay shot a 69 to finish in a tie for third place alongside Thailand's Udorn Duangdecha who posted a 67 and American Anthony Kang who recorded a 73 at the US$400,000 tournament.
Third-round leader Iain Steel of Malaysia ended sixth after a 76 for a 277 total.
In Norton, Massachusetts, South African Tim Clark, inspired by two eagles, opened a one-stroke lead with a sparkling nine-under-par 62 in the Deutsche Bank Championship second round on Saturday.
Five off the pace at the start of another day of low-scoring at the TPC Boston, he briefly raised hopes of a magical 59 before bogeying the last two holes for a 14-under total of 128.
"It just was strange," Clark told reporters after equalling his lowest score on the PGA Tour. "I felt good all day and just kept making birdie after birdie after birdie."
That left him one ahead of first-round leader Mike Weir of Canada (68), with American Ben Curtis (65) and 2004 champion Vijay Singh (66) of Fiji a further stroke back.
The heavyweight trio of American Jim Furyk (65), Spaniard Sergio Garcia (64) and South African Ernie Els (65) were among a group bunched at 11-under.
Had he succeeded, the 32-year-old Clark, yet to win on the PGA Tour, would have become the fourth player to fire a 59 on the PGA Tour.
American Al Geiberger was the first player to break 60 on the PGA Tour, shooting a 13-under 59 in the second round of the 1977 Memphis Classic.
Chip Beck did likewise in the third round of the 1991 Las Vegas Invitational before David Duval repeated the feat in the fifth and final round of the 1999 Bob Hope Classic.
(Agencies via Shanghai Daily September 1, 2008)
