Carmona, Cavite—True to his vow, Jay Bayron used a fiery start to regain control then held sway at the back and withstood John Michael O’Toole’s late-hole rally to snap a two-year spell via a one-stroke victory in the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Golf Championship here yesterday.
Bayron, who said Thursday he would need a strong start to boost his winning chances after O’Toole joined him at the helm with a 66, birdied three of the first four holes to re-take the solo lead, matched his rival’s birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 then came through with a clutch par-save on the 17th to hack out the thrilling victory on a closing six-under 66 card at the Legends course.
“It’s nice to win again. I thought my days were over but I was still able to pull it off here,” said Bayron, who tied the course record at 10-under 62 in the opening day and strung up a pair of 67s in weather delay rounds to finish with a whopping 26-under 262 total worth $17,500 in the third leg the Philippine Golf Tour Asia Season 2.
A former PGT Order of Merit champion but whose game went on a downswing after scoring back-to-back victories at Wack Wack and Riviera in Aug. 2016, Bayron seized a one-stroke lead with a 33 start then moved 2-up as O’Toole flubbed a six-foot par-putt off the bunker of the par-3 No. 12. He then flashed steely nerves as he matched the American’s birdies in the next two, made a two-putt for par from the fringe on No. 17 then rode the final hole pressure with a routine par off a fairway bunker to secure the victory.
“It’s a battle from the first hole and I’m happy that my irons and putting clicked early on,” said Bayron, who opened with back-to-back birdies against O’Toole’s pars then rolled in another putt from short range on the fourth to negate his rival’s birdie on the third.
He dropped a shot on No. 7 but matched O’Toole’s birdies on Nos. 8 and 10 to cling to a one-stroke lead before gaining another stroke as O’Toole bogeyed the par-3 12th.
“I had some misses out there but I’m okay with my game,” said O’Toole, who pulled to within one with a birdie on No. 17 and nearly forced a playoff after his birdie putt from 10 feet fell inches short of the cup. He closed out with a 67 for a 263 for second while Finland’s Teemu Putkonen took third place with a 269 after an eagle-spiked 64.
Aussie Tim Stewart slowed down with a 69 and ended up fourth at 272 while Micah Shin, who posted a big win at the adjacent Masters late last year, failed to measure up to Bayron and O’Toole’s birdie-duel and ended up with a 71. He slipped to fifth at 274 in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc.
Dutch Guido Van der Valk, winner of the PGT Eagle Ridge Challenge last March but missed the cut at PGTA Riviera last week, rallied with a bogey-free 67 to grab sixth place at 276 while Tony Lascuña also charged back with a solid 66 to place seventh at 277.
Aussie Damien Jordan carded a 67 to tie Zanieboy Gialon, who shot a 68, at 278 while Indonesian Elki Kow and Japanese Yuta Sudo both fired 70s for joint 10th with Angelo Que, who stumbled with a 73, and PGTA Riviera winner Jobim Carlos, who settled for a 72, at 279 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.
Back in the winner’s circle, Bayron hopes to sustain his form as the region’s newest circuit moves to Forest Hills for the fourth leg next month and to the Orchard (Aboitiz Invitational) and Summit Point in September.
“With so many young players emerging, I just have to continue training. Hindi pa naman tayo laos,” said Bayron from talent-rich Davao.