Bayron snares title over Tabuena

BAGUIO, Philippines – Jay Bayron battled back from five strokes down with a fiery eagle-spiked start then came through with two clutch shots – one forcing a playoff and the other a title-clinching tap-in birdie – to nip Miguel Tabuena on the second sudden death hole and snatch the ICTSI Camp John Hay Championship crown here yesterday.

Bayron rolled in a delicate 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 18th to fire a nine-under 59 then watched Tabuena, who had bucked poor health condition and the charge of a slew of older, more experienced rivals majority of the final round, wilt under pressure and missed clinching it outright with a muffed birdie putt that came short from a closer but tougher spot for a 64. Both finished the 72-hole, P2.5 million event at a record 23-under 249 at the John Hay layout.

But experience prevailed over youth in the playoff with Bayron coming through with a solid 4-iron second shot from 210 yards on their second trip on the par-5 16th that landed just about three feet of the pin. He missed the eagle putt but clinched the crown worth P450,000 as Tabuena failed to reach it in two and missed a long putt for birdie to extend the match.

Both parred the first playoff hole at the par-3 15th.

“I didn’t expect to win this one. I’ve never done this before, to come back from a such big deficit,” said Bayron in Filipino, relishing the sweet taste of victory that came barely two days after he turned 34.

“This is the best birthday gift I have ever received,” added Bayron, who thus snapped a two-year long title drought on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. although he won twice on the Asian Development Tour last year to clinch the Order of Merit crown.

It wasn’t actually a sorry finish for 18-year-old Tabuena, who completed a record bogey-free 54-hole stint despite a bum stomach Friday. He extended that amazing run to four more holes in the final round, even birdying three of them until he stumbled to his first bogey on No. 5. He made another bogey on No. 7 but birdied three of the last nine holes for that 64.

In short, he didn’t close out bad despite his condition. Only Bayron played better.

Jhonnel Ababa rallied with three straight birdies and finished with a 63 for solo third at 251 worth P210,000 while Rufino Bayron shot a 61 for fourth at 253 and took home P150,000 in the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Richard Sinfuego also turned in a swashbuckling 60 to jump from out of nowhere to solo fifth at 255 and win P110,000 while the Srixon-backed Michael Bibat and Clyde Mondilla both carded 65s and ended tied for sixth at 256. Each got P87,500.

Tony Lascuna wound up eighth at 258 after a 67 and received P70,000 while Rey Pagunsan set a new course record 58, erasing Carl Santos-Ocampo’s 59 last year, to share ninth place at 260 with Christopher delos Santos (66), Randy Garalde (66) and Elmer Salvador (67). Each received P50,125.

Just as everybody thought Tabuena would cruise to another victory after storming to a three-shot lead over Jhonnel Ababa over the par-68 course he had mastered with a run of bogey-free cards in the first three rounds, Bayron worked his way back with a run of birdies of his own then made an eagle on the drivable par-4 No. 8 to tie Tabuena.

Still, the young Tabuena refused to give up, pouncing on Bayron’s bogey on the ninth to regain the lead then went two-up again with a brilliant birdie on the 10th after opting for a conservative iron-tee shot on the reachable par-4 hole before pitching to within six feet.

Bayron and Ababa expectedly went for the green but failed to set up decent birdie chances, enabling Tabuena to post another two-shot cushion.

Bayron, however, birdied the par-3 11th from three feet to close the gap again although Tabuena hung tough, birdying No. 13 to go two-up again then hit another one on the 16th to preserve a one-stroke lead over Bayron, who struck back again by birdying Nos. 15 and 16.

After both parred the par-5 17th, Bayron rolled in a crucial 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 18th, then watched Tabuena wilt under pressure, falling short of what could’ve been a winning birdie putt from a closer distance.

The event, the second leg of the 16-stage circuits, was backed by Nike Golf, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, Mizuno, Titleist, Srixon, Foot Joy, Callaway, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers, Cleveland Golf and Sharp with Balls, Studio 23 and Pinoygolfer.com as media partners.