Singapore: Indian teenager Rayhan Thomas came within a striking distance of creating history before finishing tied second at the elite Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships here. Thomas’ tied second is the best finish ever by an Indian in the 10-year history of the Championships. The Dubai-based golfer (4-under 66) ended two shots behind the winner, Takumi Kanaya (65), who made a great charge between the 14th and 16th with three successive birdies to surge ahead to victory over Thomas and the Asian Games individual gold medallist fellow Japanese Keita Nakajima (67).
The 20-year-old Kanaya, who was second individually at the World Amateur Championships last month days after being part of Japan’s Asian Games gold medal winning team, totalled 13-under 267. Thomas and Nakajima were 11-under 269 as the threat of lightning stopped play for an hour and 11 minutes at the new Tanjong Golf Course. Overall, it was India’s best-ever Asia-Pacific Amateur Championships with five of the six Indian players making the cut this week.