Quick start fires Malnati to lead at Houston Open
season hobbled by a dip in form and personal woes, sparked his late rebound with a thrilling victory in PGT Asia in Taiwan three weeks ago.
Sharing the spotlight was Japanese Takahashi Keisuke, who scored the first hole-in- one on No. 3 for a 67 also he settled for joint 18th with Nilo Salahog, who carded a 71, at 288.
One shot behind the troika after 54 holes, Lascuña braced for a wild finish as he tied Bibat with a birdie on No. 10 with Alido dropping a stroke behind and Mondilla fading with a 37 start. But he birdied Nos. 12 and 13, leaving Alido and Bibat behind and securing the victory with another birdie on the 17th for a 34-32 card that also matched Rico Depilo and Mondilla’s similar six-under cards in the second and third rounds, respectively, on a new course which
hosted a PGT leg for the first time.
Alido and Bibat fell behind with bogeys on Nos. 12 and 13, respectively, but the former struck back with two birdies in the last five holes to save a 70 for a 279. Despite falling short again in his breakthrough bid, the 18-year- old shotmaker likewise capped an impressive season in the season organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. marked by a number of Top 5 finishes. He received P370,000.
“I played okay but a lot of my putts just wouldn’t fall,” rued Alido, who also led in the third round at Aboitiz Invitational of PGT Asia, but wavered in the stretch and wound up fifth.
Bibat, who last won in 2013 at Palos Verdes and a playoff loser to Juvic Pagunsan in Iloilo last June, failed to recover from his mishap on No. 13 and Peter Malnati was