GEN. TRIAS, Cavite, Philippines — Chihiro Ikeda banked on a huge overnight lead as she survived a horrendous final-round meltdown to claim her second championship in the last four legs of the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour, beating Sarah Ababa by two despite a five-over 77 here yesterday.
Ikeda had built a six-shot cushion over Harmie Constantino and amateur Mikha Fortuna after 36 holes of the P1.5-million championship but went through some anxious moments before pulling through in the ICTSI Eagle Ridge at Aoki Invitational on a performance that was in stark contrast to her blistering second-round 68 Wednesday.
“I played bad but still won,” said Ikeda, who banked P202,500 in a victory that came after she reigned at Mt. Malarayat last May, then fought back from a share of fifth at Splendido with a joint runner-up effort at Pradera Verde last month.
“I was a little bit tired and failed to play steady. But I just kept on fighting,” added the Manila Southwoods and AsiaGlobal Technologies-backed pro, who honed her skills under swing coach Bong Lopez.
She did birdie the opening hole to pad her lead but bogeyed three of the next four for a 38. She yielded two strokes on the daunting par-4 No. 13, bogeyed the next before wrapping up her 38-39 in a birdie-bogey fashion for a 216 total.
But through her struggle, her rivals failed to capitalize, although Ababa, who started the last 18 holes seven shots off Ikeda, came in threateningly close in the other flight with a birdie on No. 13 for a running two-under card against Ikeda’s four-over output.
But Ababa, winner at Sherwood Hills in 2016, failed to get up-and-down on No. 14, matching Ikeda’s mishap, then dropped another stroke on the 18th to finish second at 218.
Fortuna pulled to within two with two birdies in the first six holes, only to fade with four bogeys in the last 12 for a 74. She ended up third at 219 while running away with the low amateur honors in the 54-hole championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Meanwhile, Michael Bibat and Tony Lascuña closed out in scorching fashions in separate flights and forced a three-way tie for the lead as Lloyd Go slowed down with a 72 yesterday heading to a gripping finish of men’s play.
Bibat sustained a late frontside rally with three birdies in the last seven holes in dark skies as he bounced back from a second-round 72 with the day’s best six-under 66 while Lascuña checked an impending fold-up by going four-under in the last five, spiked by an eagle on No. 16, for a 68.
The veteran pair with contrasting records on the Philippine Golf Tour thus pooled a 54-hole aggregate of nine-under 207, catching Go at the helm.