JUSTIN Quiban came up with clutch hits to nail his second career victory by ruling the ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club.
Holding to a seven-stroke lead heading into the final day, Quiban suddenly saw his advantage trimmed to two after a bogey-marred frontside 37 coupled with solid 32 of the second running Jay Bayron.
But that proved to be the closest Bayron could get as Quiban regained his bearing with a clutch two-shot swing on No. 13 and another birdie on No. 15 for a 33 and a 70, and beating Bayron by five on a 16-under 264.
“I started really slow. After those bogeys, I felt a bit of pressure, especially with a good player like Bayron behind me,” the 22-year-old Quiban said after the Saturday game. “It was a good thing I got better at the back.”
“I bombed it away. I thought that if I make it to the green off the tee, I might turn things around,” added Quiban, whose victory came seven months after scoring a breakthrough at the Philippine Golf Tour Asia CAT Open.
Jobim Carlos rallied with five birdies after 17 holes but bogeyed the last and finished with a 66 to land on third place with 270, while Clyde Mondilla and Johvanie Abaño ended up with 272.
Tony Lascuña tried to press his bid with two birdies in the first four holes but stumbled with three bogeys in a five-hole stretch from No. 7 and gunned down a birdie on No. 13 for a 70 – the same output posted by Dutch Guido Van der Valk at 274.
Michael Bibat fought back with a 68 to tie Richard Sinfuego on eighth at 275 while Paul Echavez shot a second straight 69 and wound up 10th at 276 in the first of four tournaments making up the Visayan swing of the circuit./PN
