Macau Open
Macau Golf Club
Macau
30th April - 3rd May 1998

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Oide sets Omega Tour first after winning Macau Open

Macau, 3rd May 1998 -  Little-known Satoshi Oide today became the first Japanese golfer to win on the Asian PGA's Omega Tour after equaling the course record with a four under par 67 in the final round of the inaugural US$200,000 Macau Open.

Oide, ranked 19th at this year's Asian PGA's qualifying school in January, carded an eagle, five birdies and a solitary bogey over the challenging Macau G.C.C. layout, and finished two shots clear of US PGA Tour regular Vijay Singh and overnight leader Gilberto Morales of Venezuela.

"I feel quite lucky to have won today because I didn't play very well on the front nine where I found bunkers on five of the holes," said Oide after collecting the US$32,300 winner's cheque. "My aim this morning was to just try and finish in the top five – but I guess this course suits my game because like me it's not very long."

Four shots back at the start of the day, Oide moved into contention after a string of three consecutive birdies between the seventh and ninth holes, before taking the outright lead with a 94-yard eagle chip-in on the par 5 13th.

"The important hole for me today was definitely the 13th, although I didn't know I was in front until I saw my name at the top of a leaderboard on the 15th – from there on in I was very nervous," added Oide, who only took up the game of golf at the age of 20 after starting a three-year course at the San Diego Golf Academy in America. "Thankfully I've been very comfortable all week on the difficult 17th, and at that stage I was confident I could win."

Morales, at one stage three under the card, saw his chances of victory disappear when he followed a disastrous triple bogey on the par 3 11th with a pair of bogey 6's on the par 5 12th and 13th. The 21-year-old from Caracas finished with a two over par 73, six shots more than his fellow-runner-up Singh, who also equaled the course record with his faultless 67.

"I didn't make any bogeys and that was the key for me today," said Singh, the holder of five US PGA Tour titles. "I missed three greens but each time I managed to get up-and-down and that was the difference between today and yesterday.

"On the 14th I had a birdie chance, and if I'd made the putt then maybe I would have been able to set a harder target for the leaders. But I'm happy with the way I played, especially the way I kept at it over the four days."

Taiwan's Chen Tsang-te carded a one under 70 and shared fourth spot with Chris Williams of England, who returned a level par 71.

England's Nick Faldo finally found a little form over the treacherous Macau links, firing a level par 71 for a share of 13th place on six over par. But the former world number one still struggled with his putter, and opted to use his nine iron on six of the greens. However, his unconventional decision certainly paid dividends as he went on to hole three birdie putts with the lofted club.

"I played better, and had more fun today. I'm starting to swerve them around a bit – a few fades, a few draws," said Faldo, who has now gone seven consecutive rounds without breaking par.

"My putter feels really unbalanced. I was putting with it (the nine iron) on the carpet this morning, and I had a good average with it. It's interesting, it made me realise that my putter is not in sync with me – so at least that's something positive. Yes I'll throw it away and find out whether the South China Sea wants it – maybe I'll throw it out of the helicopter on the way back."