THAILAND – Rufino Bayron fired a tournament-best seven-under par 65 and lifted the Philippines to a third place finish in the Putra Cup topped by Thailand in a down-to-the-wire battle with Singapore at the Santiburi Country Club in Chiangrai here Friday.

Bayron finally got his game going after three so-so rounds through impeccable putting that led to only 23 putts all day and superb shotmaking, finishing with a 33-32 card to avert what could have been one of the worst finishes by the Philippines in the annual event also known as the Southeast Asian Golf Team Championship.

With Mhark Fernando settling for one-under 71 and Peter Villaber carding even 72, the Philippines closed out with an eight-under 208-858 and rallied to beat Malaysia (219-862) for second runner-up honors.

Antonio Asistio II, the best performer for the team after three rounds with a two-under total, teamed up with Bayron in rallying the Philippines in the first nine holes with a three-under 33. But the 19-year-old ace lost his touch at the back, fumbling with three bogeys and two double bogeys for a 43 and failed to count with a 76.

“I know I can score here but I just couldn’t get my game going in the first three days. It’s either I would struggle with my driving, short game or putting. But today, they all came together,” said Bayron in Filipino.

The big-hitting Davaoeño used a brilliant short game to complete his spectacular round, saving pars in seven times in nine times that he went out of regulation.

Thailand steeled itself up in the last nine holes and held off a charging Singapore, finishing with a 214 for an 846 with Khrongpha Thanyakorn holing out with a birdie to shoot a 71 and cap the Thais’ stirring sweep of the six titles disputed in the four-day championship, including the team and individual titles in the Santi Cup and Lion City Cup.

Thanyakorn nipped Singapore’s Joshua Shou by one, 278-279, for the individual title with the latter firing a 69. Fernando missed salvaging third place after blowing a three-under card with that 71, settling for joint fifth with Ismail Mohammad (75) of Malaysia at 287, one behind Choo Tze-Huang of Singapore, who had a 286 after a 72, and Thai Papituk Apichat (72-286).

Bayron’s fiery finish also tied him with Asistio with 290 while Villaber wound up with a 299 for Team RP, whose stint was sanctioned by the National Golf Association of the Phils.

The RP ladies salvaged second place in the inaugural Santi Cup, finishing with an 894 total after a 219 but wound up 30 strokes behind Thailand, which romped away with the crown with a closing 215 for an 864 aggregate. Hong Kong dropped to third with a 903 after a 223 followed by Malaysia (231-905), Singapore (233-921), Indonesia (230-928) and Myanmar (241-954) in that order.

Meanwhile, the juniors team of Miguel Tabuena, Jobim Carlos, Edward Reyes and Chepe Dulay ended up fifth in the third Lion City Cup, winding up with a second straight 225 for a 912, 35 shots behind Thailand, which had an 877 after a 212 for a 14-stroke win over Singapore, which had an 891 after a 219.

Hong Kong wound up third with a 228-897 while Malaysia came in fourth with a 906 after a 223.

Miguel Tabuena, 14, matched par 72 and with Jobim Carlos (76) emerged the best scorers for the Jungolf squad headed here by Gerry Handog, with 302s. Edward Reyes had a 76-312 and 77 while Chepe Dulay failed to count again with a 78-313.

Chihiro Ikeda closed out with back-to-back birdies to save a 73, the same outputs put in by Dottie Ardina and Anya Tanpinco for the team’s final day score of three-over par.

Ardina, who blew a crack at the individual crown in the third round, squandered her chance to salvage third place honors as she bogeyed the par-5 18th, enabling player to complete the Thais sweep of the top three places. The spearhead of the ICTSI golf team finished with a 294, one behind Loomboonruang Thidapa, who made a 77-293.

Palakawong Jaruporn shot a 70 and won the gold medal with a 286, beating compatriot Jutanugard Moriya who had a 291 after a 73.

Tanpinco, the former two-time national champion, finally counted for the team with her 73 as reigning RP Ladies Open champion Louise Manalo limped home with a 79. Ikeda totaled 298 for seventh while Manalo and Tanpinco had 308 and 309, respectively.