Ababa beats Ikeda by one for Iloilo Challenge crown

MANILA, Philippines — Sarah Ababa’s six-month journey back to the winner’s circle culminated in a determined triumph at the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge as the seasoned Davaoeña showcased grit and poise to secure the title despite a challenging final-round 76 yesterday.

Unlike her dramatic comeback victory at the Apo Classic in March, where she clinched the win in the closing round, Ababa maintained steady control throughout this week’s event, the third-to-last on the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour calendar.

Heading into the final stretch, she held a three-stroke lead after 15 holes, and despite bogeys on the 16th and 18th, her challengers, including Chihiro Ikeda, couldn’t close the gap.

Ababa’s scrambling performance on the tough Iloilo Golf and Country Club course, known for its tricky layout, resulted in a three-day total of seven-over-par 217. Her resilience paid off as Ikeda, who was poised to make a late surge, faltered on the back nine and ended up with a similar six-over card to finish one stroke behind at 218.

Meanwhile, Zanieboy Gialon surged past two-day leader Fidel Concepcion as he carded a bogey-free 66 but faced a formidable challenger in Jhonnel Ababa after the third round of men’s play.

Gialon capitalized on Concepcion’s early struggles and an early burst of birdies to finish the day with a solid four-under card and a 11-under 199 total, positioning himself for a long-awaited title victory.

But Ababa shook off a wobbly frontside performance of one-over 37, rattling off four birdies in the last nine holes to fire a 67 and assume the challenger’s role at 201.