GEN. TRIAS, Cavite – Rookie Harmie Constantino proved clutch as she birdied No. 13 for a crucial two-shot swing then matched Princess Superal’s birdie on the 16th to claim the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Challenge crown by two on a closing 73 at the Aoki course here yesterday.
Constantino blew a two-stroke lead with back-to-back bogeys from No. 11 but recovered her bearing to birdie the par-4 13th, which Superal bogeyed that led to a 74, enabling the former to regain a two-stroke cushion, which she used as springboard to mark her pro debut with a resounding victory.
“I felt pretty good – starting my first pro tournament with a win,” said Constantino, who actually nailed a win on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour as an amateur when she fashioned out a nine-stroke triumph at Mt. Malarayat in 2016.
The former University of Georgia standout pocketed the top P72,000 purse on a 54-hole total of 215 that included rounds of 73 and 69.
Meantime, Justin Quiban stumbled in blustery finish and holed out with a double-bogey for a 73, enabling a slew of others, including fancied Miguel Tabuena, to close in that all but set the stage for a wild finish in the men’s side.
Dispatching erstwhile co-leader Michael Bibat with birdies on Nos. 13 and 16 to seize firm control, Quiban went 3-up over his nearest pursuers heading to the par-4 18th. But he missed a couple of shots while battling the gusts and ended up yielding two strokes on Aoki layout’s tough finishing par-4 hole.
But his one-over card, which came after he vaulted into a share of the lead with Bibat with a 65 Wednesday, still proved enough to keep him on top of the leaderboard as he assembled a 213 and closer to a third career victory after a breakthrough at PGT Asia at Luisita in 2017 and a dominant win in PGT Bacolod in 2018.
But his late miscue guaranteed a slam-bang finish to the P2 million event kicking off the 2021 Philippine Golf Tour season sponsored by ICTSI as Tabuena moved into strong contention on two late birdies for a 70, one of the two best scores in scorching, punishing day at one of Eagle Ridge’s four championship courses.
Tabuena, who failed to figure in the two Riviera events late last year, birdied Nos. 14 and 16 and tied Zanieboy Gialon, who also birdied the 16th, for a 73, at 214 while Richard Sinfuego also rallied late with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17 to save a 74 for a 215, just two strokes off Quiban.
