Ranged against two of the country’s tested campaigners, young Jobim Carlos didn’t flinch and instead turned in a blistering windup reminiscent of his recent breakthrough win at Riviera to turn what was expected to be a wild finish into a lopsided triumph in the ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational here yesterday.
Carlos shook off the threat of majority of his rivals with a 35 start then birdied three of the last seven holes to shoot a 68 and beat local ace Elmer Salvador and Albin Engino by four in the P3 million championship which served as the third leg of the Philippine Golf Tour.
Pressed by Salvador after nine holes, Carlos rode on a clutch two-shot (birdie-bogey) swing on the par-4 12th then birdied the par-5 No. 13 from four feet to build a three-stroke cushion he preserved with gutsy pars and another birdie on the closing par-5 hole.
He wound up with a 68 in a remarkable recovery by the 25-year-shotmaker who wobbled with 73 in the third round that enabled Salvador, Mars Pucay and Nilo Salahog to force a four-way tie for the lead and a host of others to stay within striking distance heading to the final 18 holes of the P3 million championship.
But Carlos turned it into an anti-climactic ending with a scorching three-birdie feat in the last seven holes.
Though Pucay and the rest of the contenders reeled back with shaky frontside stints, Salvador kept in step with Carlos until he stumbled with that costly missed green bogey on No. 12 and Carlos came through with that key birdie from a putter’s length.
“I played good. I think this (tournament) is really meant for me,” said Carlos, who also rallied with three birdies in the last six holes for a 67 in the final round to edge another Davaoeño ace Tony Lascuña by two and record his maiden win at PGT Asia at Riviera three weeks ago.
He totaled eight-under 280 and added P550,000 he received from organizing Philippine Golf Tour, Inc. executive director Narlene Soriano to his $17,500 earnings at Riviera. It was actually his third title, winning his first in the National Pro-am team championship with DJ Padilla last month.
Engino, three shots off the leaders after 54 holes, actually dished out a solid three-under card after No. 16 but ran out of holes to mount a serious challenge. He finished with a 69 and tied Salvador, who matched par 72, at second at 284. They each received P292,500.
“I did everything I could but it’s still not enough,” said Salvador.
Jerson Balasabas, just one down with 18 holes left to play in the P3 million event sponsored by ICTSI, faded with three bogeys in the first eight holes. But the recent Philippine Masters winner fought back with four birdies in the last six to salvage a 72, the same output put in by Keanu Jahns, for joint fourth with at 285. Each got P147,500.
Jhonnel Ababa, also one behind the third round leaders, also bogeyed three of the first five holes but rebounded with two birdies to close out his frontside stint. The two-time PGT Asia winner last January, however, slowed down at the back, settling for a bogey-birdie stint on Nos. 15 and 16 for a 73. He ended up with a 286 for joint sixth with Kim Joo Hyung, Joenard Rates and Pucay.
Kim pulled to within one with a solid frontside 33 but the Korean flubbed a couple of birdie chances and made two bogeys against a birdie in the last six holes and finished with a 70. Rates hit two birdies but stumbled with a double-bogey and a bogey and hobbled with a 73 while Pucay wavered early with bogeys on Nos. 2 and 4 and went on to drop two more strokes against two birdies for a 74.
Salahog, who showed so much promise with a gritty stand in the first three rounds, cracked when it mattered most and limped with a 75 marred by six bogeys. He tumbled to joint 10th at 287 with Ira Alido, who failed to sustain a fiery 66 Friday with a closing 73.
But while these erstwhile contenders lost steam and wilted at the tough backside of the tight Apo layout, Carlos displayed grace under pressure and against a pair of tested rivals in Salvador and Pucay to annex another big win tipped to further boost his confidence heading to next week’s fourth stop of the Philippine Golf Tour at ICTSI Del Monte Championship.
With at least 10 players in contention, Carlos geared up for a nerve-wracking finish in the 72-hole championship backed BDO, KZG, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Sharp, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and PLDT. Then after shaking off majority of the title bidders at the turn, he braced for a tense duel with Salvador, who however stumbled and never recovered from that No. 12 miscue and Carlos’ brilliant birdie feat.
