Team Philippines battled hard on a demanding final day of the 31st Nomura Cup, carding a level-par 144 to finish just two shots off the podium as Hong Kong-China completed a wire-to-wire triumph with a closing 136 for a four-shot victory over Japan.
Jet Hernandez fired a one-under-par 71 while Rolando Bregente contributed a 73 as the Filipinos finished with a 570 total, 13 shots behind the champions. Japan settled for second after shooting a 138 at Bayhood No. 9 International Golf Club in Beijing, China.
The 21-year-old Hernandez tied for sixth individually, while Team Philippines still posted one of its best finishes in the Asia-Pacific team golf championship in recent years, partly erasing the stigma of placing 11th when the tournament was held at home in 2022.
“I am very proud with how all of us battled even if we didn’t have our A-game the entire week,” said Hernandez, who went straight to the airport after his round for a flight back to Manila before heading to the United States to resume his psychology studies at the University of Denver.
“We know we can compete with the best countries in the region. We just have to continue putting ourselves in these situations.”
Team Philippines started the final day just five shots off the lead but could not hold its ground down the stretch.
“It’s a tough pill to swallow, but we gave it our best till the very end,” 18-year-old Shinichi Suzuki said after posting his worst score of the week, a 77, which did not count toward the team’s final score.
Markus Zachary Lam fired a 67 while Ethan Tian added a 69 as Hong Kong-China produced its best round of the week. The performance frustrated Japan, which got a 68 from Kaito Sato and a 70 from Taisei Nagasaki to finish with a 138.
South Korea also shot a 138, with Joguk Jeong carding a 68 and Jeyi Son a 70. The Koreans completed a rally that began in the third round, when they posted a 136, to secure the final podium spot.
Still, it was an impressive performance for the Filipinos, who defeated traditional regional powers China, New Zealand, Australia and Thailand while also dethroning defending champion Vietnam.
“Managing to finish fourth as a team is still a solid job,” said Hernandez, who will begin his senior year at Denver and is likely to play a fifth year to continue developing aspects of his game before turning professional. The extra year could also give him another opportunity to represent the Philippines in the near future.
