BY NOLI CORTEZ

EVERYTHING has come together for Angelo Que on and off the course.

Que shot a final-round 73 yesterday to rule 92nd Philippine Open golf championship by the slimmest of margins at the unforgiving Wack Wack East course.

Que, 29, had nines of 37-36 fashioned in an up-and-down manner and scored his breakthrough win in Asia’s oldest championship, edging Malaysian Danny Chia and Australian Gavin Flint.

"It’s a big dream come true," said Que, who notched his first professional win in Vietnam in 2004 and just two weeks ago found out his wife Tracy is seven weeks pregnant with their first child right after he qualified for the British Open.

Que topped the 2006 The Country Club Invitational, worth P1.5 million, right after setting a wedding date with Tracy.

The win was worth $47,550 (roughly P2 million) for Que and also earned him full exemption for the rest of this year’s Asian Tour and next season as well.

"At least I now get to pick the tournaments I will play in and I will get to be with my wife more," said Que. "My wife is my inspiration and trying to give her a good life is what keeps me going."

The prospects of having their first child also tickles Que no end, that’s why he said majority of his prize money will go to the "baby’s fund," as he called it.

There should be plenty more as his game has seemingly also gotten around to where he wanted it to be.

"I’ve been hitting good since the start of the year," he noted. "It’s just that my putting hasn’t been working so well. So when it came around two weeks ago, I knew I’m going to do good."

He expected a tight finish yesterday and he was proven right.

Chia, playing five flights ahead of Que who vaulted to the lead after shooting a 66 in the third round, closed out with an eagle-aided 66 for 284, just one shot behind Que.

Flint’s expected final-round chage failed to materialize as he wound up with a bogey-bogey finish for a 73 and a four-day total of 285. The Singapore-based pro did, however, briefly tied for the lead going into their last six holes.

Flint, whose previous highest finish yet in the Asian Tour was ninth, said he was just short of thrilled with his windup. "It’s been a very challenging week and I’m quite pleased with my finish," he said.

After sinking two of his three birdies on the front nine, Antonio Lascuna moved within a shot of Que. But his challenge was halted by three of his four bogeys on the back that relegated him to a 73 for 286 and a tie with Australian Mitchell Brown (72) and Singaporean Mardan Mamat (73) at fourth.

Japanese Kodai Ichihara, leader in the first two rounds and just one behind Que after 54 holes, slumped to a 76 and tied with Korean Young Nam (74) for seventh.

The 7,503-yard course, with its natural hazards, glasslike greens and tricky pin placements, wrought havoc on the remaining 68 players that no other came up with a sub-par total.

Artemio Murakami was foremost among the other better-placed Filipinos following a 69 and a 289, his total one better than last year’s champion, Frankie Minoza, who came up with a second-straight 71.

Jay Bayron had a 70 for 291, Mars Pucay 75 for a 292, Juvic Pagunsan 76 for 294, Danny Zarate 74 for 295, and former champions Cassius Casas (2001) and Gerald Rosales (2000)75 and 73, respectively, for a tie at 296.