INQUIRER Sports

ANTIPOLO? Elmer Salvador played just well enough to secure his second title of the year in the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour, shooting a final round one-under-71 Thursday to rule the Valley leg by two shots over Gene Bondoc.

The stocky Davaoeno steadied himself after an opening bogey to finish at 208 over three rounds, eight-under-par at the challenging South layout here, and pocket the P200,000 top purse for the Order of Merit lead.

Bondoc, the first-round leader after a 67, closed out with a 68 to wind up alone in second at 210, which bettered his previous career-best finish of third place at the Forest Hills leg last month.

Salvador, who won at Sherwood Hills in July, trailed second round co-leader, the amateur Jonel Ababa, after a missed-green bogey on the first before getting back the lead with an eagle on the seventh hole.

?I just kept my focus even after that bogey (on No. 1),? Salvador, who practiced on the greens with Ababa at noon on Wednesday, said in Filipino. Salvador picked up a birdie on the 11th which made up for a finishing-hole bogey.

The young Bondoc bounced back from a second round 75 on Wednesday, unseating Ababa for second place after the ICTSI-Calatagan/Canlubang bet limped home with a 74.

Tied for the lead at the start of the day after a 68 and a 69 and just one down going into the final four holes of the final flight, the tiny Ababa lost three shots in a two-hole span from the 15th.

A double bogey 6 on the 16th doomed Ababa?s bid to duplicate what fellow RP team mainstay Mark Fernando and former Canlubang teammate Rufino Bayron pulled off inside the last 12 months.

Canlubang hosts the final leg from Dec. 9-11.

Richard Sinfuego, who fired a 66 on Wednesday, settled for a 70 and finished tied for fourth with Danny Zarate, who returned a 69, for 212.

Finishing another shot back was the group of Jun Bernis, Ruben Sasutil and Ramil Bisera, who shot a 70. Bernis, the former RP Am and DHL Am champ, and Sasutil, turned in identical 71s.

Fernando, one of six amateurs coming from the Calatagan/Canlubang stables who made the cut, booked a top 10 finish after a second straight 71. He was tied for ninth spot with Randy Garalde at 214. Garalde turned in a day-best 66.