Bibat’s bronze glistens like gold

DOHA — For a player who had tried to perk up a team hobbled by poor form, Michael Bibat played steady golf and stayed focused at the task at hand. Although he was unable to help steer the squad to a medal finish in the Asian Games, he succeeded in rewarding himself of a bronze medal that glittered like gold.

"I was surprised when I found out that I had won the bronze because four golfers had nine under par," said Bibat, moments after closing out with a two-under 70 and ready to call it a day in the final round of the golf competitions Monday at the Doha Golf Club here.

Truly, nobody would have thought the 22-year-old former Singapore Open champion would contend, much more bag a medal in the tightly-fought race in the individual competition. With the Koreans dominating the sport the way they did in taekwondo, the chance for an outsider to break into the stronghold appeared nil.

In fact, after holing out, Bibat was ruing on a flubbed birdie attempt on the par-5 ninth. "I was very close to having a score good enough for the bronze when I was playing No. 9. But I missed," said Bibat. He hit the bronze minutes after.

Finishing tied with Singaporean Choo Tze Huang and Korean Kim Do Hoon Sr. at 279, Bibat was declared winner of the bronze, thanks to a flawless 34 at the back that netted him the medal via countback.

"I’m very pleased to win the bronze. For me it’s like a gold medal," said Bibat, who had only one bogey in the last 36 holes.

So steady and focused was Bibat that he opened with a 70, fired a gutsy 72 in the next day when teammate Jay Bayron fumbled with 74 after opening with a 68. When the rest of the team, which included Marvin Dumandan and Gene Bondoc, continued to struggle, Bibat came through with his best round, a bogey-free 67 that somehow put himself in the contention for the individual honors.

However, he ran out of holes to get a clear shot at the gold but gave himself at least a chance for third with gutsy pars on Nos. 12, 13 and 17.

"I played well on holes Nos. 12, 13 and 17. But it was not enough for me to move into medals," said Bibat. "This is what golf is about. You move close to the medals and then you miss a single hole and you’ve pushed far behind."

That’s what happened to Choo, who reeled back with bogeys on Nos. 13 and 15, while Kim, the leader in the first two days with 69 and 65, tumbled down with bogeys on Nos. 9 and 15.

Bibat’s bronze medal feat saved the day for RP golf as the men’s team wound up fifth with an 857 after a 216, 21 strokes behind Korea, which made a 215 and an 836 for a whopping 13-shot romp over India (217-849).

Taiwan took the bronze with 220-850 while Japan struggled to fourth with an 853 after a 22.

The girls team of Dottie Ardina, Cyna Rodriguez and Anya Tanpinco also wound up fifth in their side of the event, closing out with a 144 for a 569, 35 shots off the winning 534 of Korea, which scored 133 in the final day and swept the four golds staked in the sport. Japan placed second with a 547 after a 136 while Taiwan settled for bronze with a 550 after a 141. China took fourth place with a 141 and a 566. "It’s a pleasant gift for me from Doha," said Bibat, who, incidentally, will head the field in the Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship set to fire off Dec. 18 at The Country Club course in Canlubang.