Jeev Milkha Singh paid the price for some poor putting, finishing tied 38th in the 100-million yen Asahiryokuken Yomiuri Memorial golf tournament at the Asoiizuka Golf Club in Tokyo on Sunday.
Jeev, who was placed tied 39th going into the fourth and final round, finished with a score of two-under 70 for a tournament tally of six-under 282.
Azuma Yano, fourth overnight, played a brilliant back in five-under 31 with just 11 putts to emerge the surprise winner at 18-under 270.
Yano, who parred the entire front nine had a final round of 67 for his maiden win on the Japan Tour.
Taichi Tshima (67), Dinesh Chand (68) and Nozomui Kawahara (69) tied for second at 17-under 271.
Jeev, starting on the tenth tee, birdied the tenth and 13th holes, before dropping a shot on the 18th as he turned in one-under. On the second nine, the front nine of the course, Jeev had birdies on the third and the eighth, while he dropped a shot on the seventh.
He birdied three of the four par-5 holes. On the fourth, he three-putted and missed the chance.
"My problems have all been with the putter," said Jeev, who required 32 putts for the round. "Barring the first round, the putts just did not fall even though I was reaching the greens in regulation very often."
Jeev, who picked up 480,000 yen, is now 42nd in the Order of Merit with just over 22 million yen in earnings in 2005.