PLAYING steadily in tough conditions, Malaysian ace Arie Irawan closed out with a level par 71 yesterday and won the $60,000 ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational by four shots over Miguel Tabuena at the Aoki layout in Cavite.
With howling gusts blowing the chances of many, Irawan kept his poise, carving out a 35-36 effort for a four-under 280 that gave him a second Asean Development Tour victory this season.
Tabuena fired a 72 and nipped countrymen Antonio Lascuña and Jun Bernis for second spot at 284 after the duo came charging home with 69s.
There were a total of five Filipinos in the top 10 with Clyde Mondilla and Elmer Salvador tying at 287 after a 70 and 71, respectively, as most of the foreigners giving Irawan chase at the start of the day faded.
One of them was Brett Munson of the United States, also a winner in the ADT this year, who came within a stroke of the eventual champion after birdies on Nos. 2 and 3.
After wheeling into contention with great efforts in the middle two rounds, Munson then blew his chances by dropping six strokes in a four-hole stretch from No. 4, eventually signing for a 75 also for 287.
Micah Shin, the American who fired a second round 66 to share the lead with Tabuena, also had a 75.
“I just wanted to keep the ball in the fairway because the winds really blew so hard,” Irawan said. “The wind really affected everyone and the scores literally showed it.”
Irawan’s victory also marked the first time that a foreigner won an ADT event held in the country.
Lascuña, Rufino Bayron and Salvador had won three previous legs held here.
Another ADT leg, the Sherwood Hills Challenge, tees off on Wednesday and Irawan will be a marked man as he tries to make it back-to-back and three for the year after also winning the Sime Darby title in Malaysia.