JHONNEL Ababa closed with a solid 71 yesterday to post a six-stroke victory over Mhark Fernando and Tony Lascuna and capture his third leg win in the ICTSI Calatagan Challenge in Batangas.
What seemed to be a wild finish turned into one-man show as Ababa rebounded from an opening 38 with three birdies in the first four holes at the back, frustrating erstwhile pursuer Cassius Casas and a charging Fernando to complete a wire-to-wire victory in the P1 million tournament.
He pooled a 206 and beat Fernando and Lascuna, who both carded 71s, to bag the P200,000 purse in the 16-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Ababab also won the ICTSI Iloilo and ICTSI Riviera stages.
Fernando, six shots behind Ababa at the start of the final round, rallied to within two with a solid 34 but fumbled with a 37 at the back while Casas moved within a stroke at the turn but faded with a double-bogey, par, bogey-bogey start at the back and limped home with a 77.
Fernando and Lascuna wound up with 212s and shared the combined prize of P185,000 while Anthony Fernando shot the day’s best score of 69 to salvage joint fourth with Marvin Dumandan, who had a 75, at 213. Each got P45,000. Correspondent Jonas Panerio