Sean Ramos is one good round away from earning full Asian Tour exemption after shooting fourth round one-under-par 70 at Lake View Golf Club in Thailand on Thursday to be just outside of the top 10 of the last stage of the Qualifying School tournament.

With a 273 aggregate after 72 holes, the 20-year-old Ramos is eight shots off the lead being held by seasoned Japanese Takumi Murakami and has a comfortable three-stroke buffer on the cut line for the top 35 players that will make the tour proper next year.

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A total of 73 players made it to the final day of action, with a second Filipino in Carl Corpus making it on the number at 280 after shooting a 71. He will have to go really low, though, to make a case for one of the slots.

Aidric Chan, the third Filipino to make it past the second-round cut, bombed out after shooting a fourth round 73 for 283.

Murakami, meanwhile, has been a longtime campaigner on the Japan Tour but is giving the Asian Tour a second shot. He failed to make the grade in 2020 but has more than secured a slot—barring a disqualification—after shooting a 65 for a 19-under tally.

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South Korean Kyungnam Kang is in second two shots back after a 70 with the trio of Japan’s Yosuke Asaji (67) and Taiki Yoshida (69) plus Korean Doyeob Mun (67) lurking four shots behind the leader.

Australian Jack Thompson (69), the winner here two years ago, is one shot further back along with countryman Lawry Flynn (68).

Murakami is 25 years old and has played the main tour and challenge tour in Japan the past few seasons. He started at No. 10 and was in trouble at one-over after nine before making an eagle and five birdies, four of them in a row, for a 28. —Inquirer Sports Staff