Tabuena rules ICTSI Masters by 3

MIGUEL Tabuena used a hot front nine to cushion a wobbly finish, closing out with a 2-over-par 74 to still win the ICTSI Manila Masters by three shots over Elmer Salvador at the Eastridge layout in Binangonan, Rizal.

The 19-year-old Tabuena made the turn at 33, dropped a shot on the 10th and then signed for a quadruple bogey 8 on 15th which made the final margin close.

But it still was more than enough for Tabuena to snap a spell of more than a year as earlier rounds of 66, 74 and that huge 64 on Thursday, gave him a 278 tally, the P650,000 champion’s purse and a lot of confidence for the rest of the year.

Salvador, who started the day just one shot off Tabuena, found himself five down at the turn after a 37 and couldn’t pounce on that quadruple by the eventual champion to close out with a 76 and nip Antonio Lascuña and two others by a shot for runner-up honors.

Lascuña, the two-time Order of Merit champion, fired a 70 and caught Cassius Casas and Benjie Magada in third. Casas, the opening round leader, fired a 75 and Magada a 72 for 282s.

Marvin Dumandan matched par for 285, with Mars Pucay and Jay Bayron tying at 286 after signing for rounds of 68 and 73, respectively.

“I am really putting extra effort on my game this year,” Tabuena, who drove out-of-bounds on the 15th twice, said. “It’s paying off. I believe that hard work will result in a win.”

Salvador, who settled for the runner-up purse worth P470,000, dug himself a hole when he three-putted the par-3 eighth after missing the green. Tabuena birdied the hole and made it a five-shot swing.

Angelo Que, Michael Bibat, Jonel Ababa and Anthony Fernando rounded out the top 10, finishing with level 288s after shooting a 71, 72, 75 and 76, in that order.

Rufino Bayron, the champion two weeks ago in the ADT’s The Orchard Championship, fired a third straight 72 to be tied at 289 with Mark Fernando, who returned a 77.

The other backers of the event were Nike Golf, Pacsports, Srixon, FootJoy, It’s More Fun in the Philippines, Callaway, Mizuno, Custom Clubmakers, Titleist, Sharp and KZG with Balls Channel, Inquirer Golf and ABS-CBN Sports+Action as media partners.