Pucay beats Tabuena to win Iloilo tilt

MARS PUCAY ended a two-year title drought in the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour as he outclassed the youthful Miguel Tabuena with a bogey-free final round score of 66 to win the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge in Iloilo City yesterday.

With Angelo Que, Orlan Sumcad and Peter Villaber cracking under pressure in the final group and hobbling with mediocre scores, Pucay and Tabuena provided the thrill and action in their hunt for birdies that came like rain yesterday.

But Pucay outlasted Tabuena in the crunch, his delicate side-hiller from three feet on No. 16 proving to be the clincher for his first win since topping the Forest Hills leg two years ago in Antipolo.

He finished with a seven-under 203 at the par-70 Sta. Barbara layout and pocketed the top P200,000 purse in the 54-hole tournament.

The 17-year-old Tabuena, winner of two of the first seven legs on the circuit sponsored by ICTSI, settled for pars in the last three holes and matched Pucay’s closing 66 for second at 204 worth P120,000.

Jhonnel Ababa and OOM frontrunner Tony Lascuna also fired a pair of 66s and wound up tied for third at 205. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio