Salvador tops Sherwood Classic for first win in RP golf tour

Elmer Salvador said before the game that a one-under or an even par round would be enough to propel him to his first victory in the ICTSI Philippine Tour. On Friday, Salvador did something better dishing out a brilliant three-under-par 69, highlighted by a par-five eagle on the 12th, to win big over Benjie Magada in the Sherwood Classic at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club in Trece Martires, Cavite. “It’s a huge victory for me. It was so satisfying because this wasn’t an easy one because the Sherwood Hills’ Jack Nicklaus signature par-72 course, especially with the strong winds, was hard to play with," the 39-year-old Salvador said to GMANews.TV. Noted for his final day collapse, Salvador was threading that path in the early going. He made three scrambling pars from Nos. 2 to 4 and another on the fifth where he holed a chip shot from about 35 feet—which was the turning point of the match. “I tried to be too careful in the first five holes. It didn’t turn out well," he said. But the former Philippine Amateur champion, clicked with birdies on Nos. 7, 8 and 10 and that eagle on No. 12 that virtually put the pressure on Magada and ICTSI amateur Miko Alejandro, who were part of the championship flight of the P1-million event. Salvador ended his 54-hole campaign with an eight-under total 208 and earned the P200,000 top prize. Magada matched the champ’s 69 and settled for a runner-up finish with a 213 worth P120,000. Magada, five adrift at the start of the final round, tried to put the pressure early on with a birdie on No. 1 but fumbled with a bogey on the next before birdying Nos. 4, 6, 8 and 18 against a bogey on No. 7 to go three-under after 10 holes. Alejandro, who recently returned to the ICTSI amateur camp, managed a one-over 73 for 218 to emerge as the low amateur winner in the tournament which served as the fifth leg of the 10-stage circuit by the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. Ferdie Aunzo, the former national amateur champion, recorded his best finish on his rookie season with a third-place finish pooling a 215 after a 69. He took home P65,000. Little-known Arnold Villavicencio also posted a solid finish at solo fourth with a 217 aggregate after a two-under 70 and a P50,000 check. Ruben Sasutil wound up sixth with a 219 after a 71 and won P40,000 while Raymund Sangil (72), Erwin Vinluan (72) and Marlon Dizon (72) finished tied for sixth at 220. Each got P30,000. – Adrian Flores, GMANews.TV