Closing eagle nets Dumandan 1st pro win

DAVAO – Marvin Dumandan captured his first pro victory in two years by ruling the ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational with a closing eagle, beating fellow Davaoeño Elmer Salvador by two strokes and completing a wire-to-wire triumph at the Apo Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Dumandan, who led by four in the first round and hung tough with a one-shot lead heading into the final day of the 54-hole tournament, fired a 3-wood fade shot from 250 yards to within four feet off the cup on the par-5 18th then banged in the eagle putt to hold off Salvador and score a breakthrough win in a young pro career.

“It’s a nice feeling (winning a championship),” said Dumandan, who rose from the caddie ranks to become one of the national team standouts then honed his talent and skills at Riviera before joining the ICTSI golf stable at The Country Club.

“It’s nicer because I won my first title before my provincemates,” said the 28-year-old long-hitting shotmaker, whose 68 and a three-day total of seven-under 209 netted him P164,000.

Salvador, two behind at the start of the final round of the third leg of the ICTSI golf circuit, birdied the first three holes to draw level, but reeled back with bogeys on Nos. 6 and 8 on errant drives.

But the soft-spoken Salvador birdied Nos. 9 and 10 and stood one stroke behind going to the 18th which he also reached in two. A flubbed eight-foot eagle-putt, however, also gave Salvador a 68 and a 211 for second. He took home P113,000.

It was actually Salvador’s third straight runner-up finish in pro golf tour’s revival backed by the World Sport Group, Srixon, Callaway, Maruman, Gatorade, MJ Carr Golf Management Inc., Inquirer Golf, Golf Digest, Golf Punk, Motorola, Samsung, Maya Ads and MJCarr Golf Management. He also finished second to Jerome Delariarte at Valley ruled by amateur Rufino Bayron and at Sherwood topped by Robert Pactolerin.