What was expected to be a thrilling windup to the four-day golf extravaganza known as the 2011 Aboitiz Invitational turned out to be the Jay Bayron show.
Bayron finished with a bogey-less 64 to retain the title with a five-shot win over American Jonathan Moore and Elmer Salvador in the final round yesterday at the Cebu Country Club in Banilad.
His 64 gave him a 72-hole aggregate of two-under 278 to win the $11,375 purse. Bayron beat absentee Juvic Pagunsan by two in last year’s inaugurals of the event on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour.
Bayron routed the rest of the field with five birdies including three consecutive ones from the 15th hole, which broke the backs of his pursuers and capture the top prize in the $65,000 event.
He also became the first player to win the first Philippine event to be featured on the Asian Development Tour.
Bayron was five points ahead of Salvador, Moore, Tony Lascuna and Marvin Dumandan, who all had 283s in the event sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures.
“My iron game and putting clicked,” said Bayron, who birdied No. 10 to go one up over Salvador and two ahead Moore then rolled in a par-saving putt from 21 feet on No. 11 to pad his lead.
But Bayron said it was his 5-iron tee-shot on the par-3 13th that stopped six feet off the cup for another birdie that keyed his victory as he built enough lead to cushion a possible fightback by his rivals.
But no such rally came. Instead, Bayron added two more birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to wrap up the crown, his first in the year after finishing second to Berry Henson in the ICTSI-Philippine Open last May at Wack Wack.
For the fourth straight day, Salvador was hounded by poor putting. Salvador and Moore, who started the final round one ahead of Bayron, closed out with identical 70s and wound up tied for second at 283 with Lascuna and Dumandan, who both carded 67s.