Salvador clinches win No. 4 in RP golf tour

When it rains, it pours for Elmer Salvador. Salvador, last year’s three-time champion, bullied his way to a brave one-under-par 71 to beat Jay Bayron and Ferdie Aunzo for the crown in the ICTSI Classic of the Philippine Golf Tour played at the Mount Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas.

The reigning Philippine Open champion fired two all-important regulation pars in the first nine holes then birdied from afar on No. 17 to win the crown with an eight-under-par 208 overall and pocket the P200,000 top prize. "I just stayed focused and made crucial pars on Nos. 4 and 5," said the soft-spoken Salvador, who wrested the solo lead with a birdie on No. 3 then rolled in back-to-back putts from 10 feet from No. 4. But it was a 16-foot birdie putt on the par-5 17th that clinched the win for Salvador, who took a two-shot lead over Bayron and annexed the victory despite a final hole bogey, completing his mastery over practically the same field he dominated in ruling the Philippine Open here last December. Bayron, winner of the Forest Hills leg last year, took the lead with a birdie on No. 11 but took a triple-bogey 7 on No. 13 when he drove out of bounds. He finished with a 73 for a 210 and took the runner-up honors worth P120,000 in the 54-hole tournament which served as the second leg of a 12-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. Aunzo, who scored his first pro win at Royal Northwoods last year, sputtered early with two bogeys in the first three holes but bounced back with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 5. He actually seized the solo lead after eight holes but three-putted No. 9 for bogey, enabling Salvador and Bayron to regain the lead on a two-shot swing with birdies on the par-5 hole. Jun Bernis, who showed the field with a 65 in the first round, moved to within one off the lead with a birdie on No. 1 but fumbled with four bogeys against three more birdies for a 72. He settled for solo third at 211 and took P65,000. Reigning national champion Mhark Fernando rallied with a 70 while ICTSI-Cangolf teammate Jhonnel Ababa carded a 74 as the shared the low amateur honors at 215. – Adrian Flores, GMANews.TV