CEBU – Jay Bayron scorched the backside with a sizzling five-under 30 and completed a bogey-free 64 to post a whopping five-stroke victory over Jonathan Moore and Elmer Salvador and retain the Aboitiz Invitational presented by ICTSI 2011 crown at the Cebu Country Club.
Bayron’s stirring windup turned what was expected to be a wild finish in the $65,000 event into a rout as he sped away with five birdies, including three straight from No. 15, to become the first player to win the first Philippine event to be featured on the Asian Development Tour.
His 64 gave him a 72-hole aggregate of two-under 278, five ahead of Salvador, Moore, Tony Lascuna and Marvin Dumandan, who all had 283s in the event sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures.
Bayron, who also beat absentee Juvic Pagunsan by two in last year’s inaugurals of the event, presented by International Container Terminal Services, Inc., on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, took home $11,375.
“My iron game and putting clicked,” said Bayron, who birdied No. 10 to go1-up over Salvador and two ahead Moore then rolled in a par-saving putt from 21 feet on No. 11 to pad his lead.
But Bayron said it was his 5-iron tee-shot on the par-3 13th that stopped six feet off the cup for another birdie that keyed his victory as he built enough lead to cushion a possible fightback by his rivals.
But no such rally came. Instead, Bayron added two more birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to wrap up the crown, his first in the year after finishing second to Berry Henson in the ICTSI-Philippine Open last May at Wack Wack.
“My par-saving putt on No. 11 was crucial but the key was my birdie on No. 13, it gave me a three-shot cushion,” said Bayron, who tied Salvador for the lead at the turn, took the lead with a birdie on No. 10, built another cushion with another birdie on the 13th before storming away with that title-clinching three-birdie string.
“Jay is fun to watch. He had a great round of golf today. A 64 was really special and I enjoyed watching how well he played being alongside with him,” said Moore.
For the fourth straight day, Salvador was hounded by poor putting, saying: “I still can’t get my putting worked. I told myself that I needed a birdie on the final hole but still failed to sink an eight-footer.”
Salvador and Moore, who started the final round one ahead of Bayron, closed out with identical 70s and wound up tied for second at 283 with Lascuna and Dumandan, who both carded 67s.
Lascuna and Dumandan, in a flight ahead of the championship group, actually moved within one off Bayron with a 33 at the front. But Lascuna turned in just one birdie at the back for a 33-34 round and Dumandan missed gaining solo second with a bogey on the final hole.
Cassius Casas rallied with two birdies in the last five holes to shoot a 68 and claimed solo sixth place with a 284 while Rufino Bayron carded a 71 for solo seventh at 286.
Unheralded Ebarra Quiachon matched par 70 to turn in a top 10 finish in a big tournament at eighth with a 287 while Mithun Perera of Sri Lanka was the next top foreign finisher in the event after Moore at joint ninth at 288 with Jhonnel Ababa (71) as he made a 72.
The event was backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, Empire Golf & Sports Shop, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.(pr)
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