Van der Valk finally nails PGT triumph

Guido Van der Valk did not shoot a single birdie, but still won the ICTSI Eagle Ridge Challenge Saturday.

The Dutchman, despite a four-over-par 76, finally bagged his first Philippine Golf Tour title after his closest pursuers, Jay Bayron and American Nicolas Paez, failed to mount their rally.

The Manila-based Van der Valk wound up with a four-over 292 total that gave him the P450,000 top purse via a three-shot margin over Bayron, who tallied a 77, and Paez, who carded a 75.

Bayron, two shots down at tee-off, was able to catch up with Van der Valk twice, the last at No. 13, only to crumble with four straight bogeys from No. 14. Paez, on the other hand, bogeyed holes 16 and 17 to share second place with Bayron at 295.

The 38-year-old Van der Valk, who joined the PGT at Espendido in 2013, thus completed his rise in form after landing third in both The Country Club Invitational and the 100th Solaire Philippine Open in the last four weeks.

“It’s been a long wait and I don’t know what to say,” said Van der Valk, who came up with earlier rounds of 72-73-71. —ROY LUARCA