Bibat ends drought
MICHAEL Bibat ended a long five-year struggle for a title as he logged a two-under par 69 and a two-stroke win over Tony Lascuna and Elmer Salvador in the final round of the ICTSI Rancho Palos Verdes crown at the Rancho Palos estates in Davao City.
Bibat whisked off co-leaders Dutch Guido Van der Valk and Dante Becierra’s challenge early then survived a furious fightback by a host of pursuers infront of them with a gutsy backside stint to card a 35-34 round and finally end a long wait for his biggest win since bagging the bronze medal in the Asian Games in Doha in 2006.
Bibat was a model of consistency through the tournament with rounds of 68 and 67, which tied Van der Valk and Becierra in the lead. He then hung tough to foil the bids of Davao aces Jay Bayron, Tony Lascuña and Elmer Salvador in a thrilling backside battle.
He wound up with a 204 and pocketed the top purse of P200,000 in the tournament, which served as the fifth leg of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
LOW AMATEUR HONORS
Cebuano amateur Lloyd Jefferson, who ran second after the first round before plummeting down the standings with a 73 during the second round, took the low amateur honors with a 68, good for a total of 208, finishing tied with Clyde Montilla for 10th place. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio
