Bibat bags P Verdes title, ends drought
DAVAO CITY – Michael Bibat steeled himself up in a pressure-packed backside battle to thwart a slew of rivals and finally end a five-year search for a breakthrough victory, beating Davao aces Tony Lascuña and Elmer Salvador by two with a closing two-under 69 for the ICTSI Rancho Palos Verdes Classic crown here yesterday.
Bibat thwarted off co-leaders Dutch Guido Van der Valk and Dante Becierra early then survived a furious fightback by a host of pursuers in front of them with a gutsy backside stint to card a 35-34 round and snap a long wait for his biggest win since bagging the bronze medal in the Asian Games in Doha in 2006.
After saving par on the 54th hole, Bibat raised his right hand to acknowledge the crowd, shook hands with Van der Valk and Becierra then headed straight to pals Carl Santos-Ocampo, whom he dethroned for the championship, James Ryan Lam and Edward Reyes.
“It’s a nice feeling, really sweet for me because it’s my first title after five years as a pro,” said Bibat, who had a number of final round meltdowns that stymied his bid for a first-ever pro win on the circuit sponsored by ICTSI.
This time, he played steady all through three days, stringing rounds of 68 and 67 to join Van der Valk and Becierra in the lead then hanging tough to foil the bids of Davao aces Jay Bayron, Lascuña and Salvador in a thrilling battle at the tough backside of the Rancho Palos Verdes Residential Estates.
He wound up with a 204 and pocketed the top purse of P200,000 in the tournament which served as the fifth leg of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Salvador, three behind at the start of the final round, moved within one at the turn but failed to gain headway with two bogeys against two birdies at the back for a 68, while Lascuña, five off after 36 holes, closed to within two midway through but could only finish with a 34 for a 66. Both ended up with 206 and split the combined purse of P210,000.
Bayron, a come-from-behind winner at ICTSI John Hay last April, headed for a repeat when he tied Bibat after nine holes with a 33 and grabbed the lead with a birdie on No. 10. But he fumbled with a costly triple-bogey 7 on No. 13 and finished with a 70 for joint fourth with five others at 207.
They included Frankie Miñoza, who also threatened to within two after No. 11 but like the rest of the challengers, failed to sustain his charge, winding up with a second 68. Ferdie Aunzo also had a flawless 32 but ran out of holes and scored a 66, Reymon Jaraula also fought back to within two after No. 12 but made a run of pars before bogeying the last hole for a 68 while Elmer Saban, just one off the lead after 36 holes, settled for an even par 71. Van der Valk, who led in the first round and shared the lead heading to the final 18 holes, cracked under pressure, limping with a 72 and dropping to the big group of 207 scorers who took home P34,000 each.
Becierra, who showed a lot of promise with a solid 67 Thursday, also wavered on a day he vowed to make a charge, hobbling with a 75 and tumbling down to joint 14th at 210.
Salvador, a former Order of Merit champion, threatened last to within one with a birdie on No. 14 but scrambled for pars in the next three holes. He went for broke on the tough finishing hole, but his approach shot fell short, hitting the fringe before the ball rolled down to about 20 feet. He wound up with a bogey.
“I knew I needed a birdie so I went for it. Sadly, it hit the fringe and rolled back,” rued Salvador in Filipino.