Venezuela's  Murillo wins in the rain at Thailand's Mountain Creek

Nakhon Ratchasima (Thailand) — Wolmer Murillo kept his nerve when it mattered most to win the MENA Tour's Mountain Creek Open  on a rain-affected day in Thailand today.

Starting the day two shots off the pace, the Venezuelan (pictured with the trophy) closed with a tidy 69, winning his eighth professional title — and the first in Asia — for an aggregate of  five-under 211 as overnight leader Sixto Casabona-Navarro of Spain faded with a final-round 78.

On a day when thunderstorms during the afternoon forced suspension of play for nearly 45min, India’s Rayhan Thomas staged a stunning final day charge, firing a six-under 66 that propelled him to solo second on two-under — and on top of the amateur division for the second week in a row.

Thai amateur Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng finished third a further shot back on one-under after closing with a 71.

“Winning is never easy and I am delighted that all my hard work has paid off,” said Murillo after receiving the winner’s trophy 

Murillo made a confident start, making the turn at three-under and kept the momentum going all the way through, offsetting his only bogey of the day at the 11th with another birdie on the 14th.

“I am really grateful to the MENA Golf Tour for their invitation to play in this event. I have been really working hard with on game with John Wither (the PGA professional at Mountain Creek) and made a couple of swing changes. I think I have got to a point where I can aim and shoot well,” said the 35-year-old Venezuelan, who is attached to Banyan Golf Club in Hua Hin.

Spain’s Casabona-Navarro said he blew his chances on the front nine he played in five-over. “I played somewhat better coming home, but the damage had already been done,” he added after finishing with a 78 for 218 and a share of seventh place.

India’s Thomas, who racked up his second-place finish on the MENA Golf Tour for the second time, reeled off eight birdies, including five on the back nine, and two bogeys in his 66 that matched his career-best score set at the Dubai Creek Open last year.

“I hit a lot of good shots out there and putted really well. It was one of those days when everything clicked. Now I know I can shoot low, which a great confidence boost,” said Thomas, who is supported by the Shaikh Maktoum Golf Foundation.

Elsewhere, England’s Luke Joy, a two-time winner on the tour, produced the shot of the day when he aced the par-3 eighth with an eight iron from 149 yards for the sixth hole-in-one of his career — and his third since he turned professional four years ago. 

It was the second hole-in-one of the week following Kalle Nilsson’s ace at the par-3, 12th in the opening round on Tuesday.

The MENA Golf Tour travels to Hua Hin, a seaside resort on the Gulf of Thailand, next week for the MahaSamutra Masters to be held at Banyan Golf Club from May 17 to 19.

Aberdeen-born tour pro Clarke Lutton finished a disappointing joint 29th. Lutton had scores of 74, 76 and 76 for a total of 10-over-par 226 - 15 shots behind the Venezuelan winner by three, Wolmer Murillo (71-71-69 for 211).

Danny Kay (Dunbar) was the top Scot in tied 11th place on 221 with scores of 76, 72 and 73, despite double bogey 6s at the sixth and 14th in his final round. He birdied the first, seventh, 10th and 12th.

Paul Doherty finished T24 on 224 with scores of 76, 73 and 75. He also had a double bogey 6, at the fourth and his four bogeys more than cancelled out his three birdies.

Renaissance Club amateur Ben Alexander played well below his recent good form with rounds of 80, 78 and 80 for 238 and last place among the 52 qualifiers for the final round.

MENA TOUR - MOUNTAIN CREEK OPEN

Thailand

LEADING FINAL TOTALS

Par 216 (3x72)

211 W Murillo (Ven) 71 71 69

214 R Thomas (Ind) (am) 76 72 66

215 W Chothirunrungrueng (Thai) 70 74 71

SCOTS' TOTALS

221 D Kay 76 72 73 (T11)

224 P Doherty 76 73 75 (T24)

226 C Lutton 74 76 76 (T29)

238 B Alexander (am) 80 78 80 (52nd).

ALL THE FINAL TOTALS

2243	1		Wolmer Murillo		71	71	69	211
1332	2		Rayhan Thomas [Am]		76	72	66	214
2248	3		Witchayanon Chothirunrungrueng [Am]		70	74	71	215
1910	4		Fredrik Lindblom		71	73	72	216
2147	4		Antonio Costa		72	71	73	216
2254	6		Changtai Sudsom		70	76	71	217
1047	7		Manish Goyal		70	73	75	218
1247	7		Lee Corfield		70	75	73	218
1869	7		Sixto Casabona-navarro		69	71	78	218
1970	10		Oscar Hertzberg		74	71	75	220
1706	11		Joe Heraty		75	69	77	221
1740	11		Elliott Oxlade		75	74	72	221
1798	11		Daniel Kay		76	72	73	221
1801	11		Mariano Ochoa		72	76	73	221
2238	11		Rahul Bajaj		73	73	75	221
2239	11		Blake Snyder		74	74	73	221
1015	17		Daniel Owen		70	75	77	222
1345	17		Stuart Archibald		73	75	74	222
2128	17		Ryan Laird		73	74	75	222
2139	17		Kevin Esteve		76	73	73	222
1436	21		Craig Hinton		74	73	76	223
1992	21		Joshua Seale		74	77	72	223
2131	21		Michael Dreyer		74	77	72	223
1195	24		Paul Doherty		76	73	75	224
1635	24		Carlos Balmaseda		79	75	70	224
2138	24		Fredrik From		74	72	78	224
1125	27		Max Williams		74	73	78	225
2065	27		Rocco Sanjust		73	77	75	225
746	29		Clarke Lutton		74	76	76	226
1111	29		Jonathan Fransson		74	73	79	226
1723	29		Luke Joy		77	73	76	226
1877	29		Scott Campbell		79	74	73	226
2133	29		Jesper Alm		76	73	77	226
2152	29		Gonzalo Escauriaza		72	79	75	226
1969	35		Josh Taylor		78	77	72	227
2257	35		Sung-Keun Kim		72	75	80	227
1603	37		Benjamin David [Am]		79	72	77	228
2221	37		Joshua Ingram		73	82	73	228
1161	39		Robert Harris		76	81	72	229
1895	39		Jean-Luc Burnier		76	75	78	229
1080	41		Gregor Kotnik		81	76	73	230
1788	41		Peter Stojanovski		79	77	74	230
2145	41		Jonny McAllister		78	74	78	230
2241	41		Fredrik Edmunds		78	77	75	230
1472	45		Borja Cabello		81	73	77	231
1735	45		Victor Bertran		75	76	80	231
2095	45		Francisco Perez		77	77	77	231
1439	48		Karl Ableidinger		75	79	80	234
2096	49		Jordan Garnish		79	74	82	235
1911	50		Karl Russell		77	80	79	236
889	51		Mark Chamberlain		71	82	84	237
1984	52		Ben Alexander [Am]		80	78	80	238