Carmona, Cavite—Chiang Huang endured a long rain delay then came out of foggy condition a clear winner, claiming a four-shot victory over three stunned Thai aces on a fiery windup in the ICTSI Champion Tour at Tagaytay Midlands here yesterday.
Huang birdied three of the last four holes in impressive fashion and finished with a bogey-free 67 in wet, tough conditions, turning what had appeared to be a wild, scrambling ending into a runaway triumph as Pannapa Polnamin, Supamas Sangchan and Renuka Suksukont all failed to match the Taiwanese charge.
The 22-year-old Huang closed out with a 34-33 for a 12-under 204 aggregate, beating Sangchan, Polnamin and Suksukont by four after the Thais wound up with identical 208s on 68, 69 and 71, respectively.
The margin of victory didn’t actually reflect the manner by which Huang had to overcome the pressure from his chief rivals, including Princess Superal, and tension of a finale that in one stretch had looked to be going the way it was last week when it was cancelled due to inclement weather and unplayable conditions at Southwoods.
As the battle heated up at the turn with Superal moving from five-down to one behind with a solid five-under 31, play was stopped due to downpour then fog set in and blanketed parts of the backside, prompting the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. to consider cancelling the third round altogether and let the three leaders after 36 holes—Ploychompoo Wilairungrueng, Suksukont and Huang—dispute the crown in a playoff.
But as the skies cleared a bit and play was resumed, Superal pressed her bid in third-to-the-last flight with another birdie on No. 12. But she bogeyed two of the next three and kissed her title bid goodbye.
In contrast, Huang steeled herself up and came through with a chip-in birdie on No. 15, hacked a superb approach shot on No. 16 for another birdie from close range then capped her explosive windup with a fifth birdie from eight feet.
“It was hard when it rained in the middle holes then it became harder when fog set in that I could barely see the ball,” said Huang, who pocketed the top purse of $15,000 in the final leg of this year’s Ladies Philippine Golf Tour put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Suksukont, winner of the Philippine Ladies Masters last December and in joint lead with Huang and Wilairungrueng after 36 holes, actually finished with a solid backside 34 but faltered at the front with a 37 and finished with a 71.
After a 36 start, Wilairungrueng tried to fight back with birdies on Nos. 13 and 16 but wavered at the finish, bogeying the last two holes for a 72 on flubbed putts from short distance.
“I’m not really good at sloping and slow greens. I think I need to work on that,” said Wilairungrueng, who sizzled at the sleek putting surface of Southwoods where she went bogey-free in her 36-hole title romp.
“My target was to shoot a seven-under but it got tough after the rain, missed a couple of par putts and birdie chances,” said Superal, who ended up with a 68 for joint sixth with Chonlada Chayanun of Thailand, who carded a 70, at 210 behind Southwoods’ leg winner Wilairungrueng, who assembled a 209 after a 72.
Thais Parinda Phokan (70), Waralee Atcharerk (71) and Saranporn Langkulgasettrin (71) shared eighth place at 212 in the event in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, BDO, Meralco, Sharp, KZGm PLDT, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and K&G Golf.