Elmer Salvador logs record 12-shot ICTSI victory

TRECE MARTIREZ, Cavite—Elmer Salvador returned to the winners’ circle in style Saturday, shooting a 4-under-par 68 for a record 12-stroke victory over Mars Pucay and Artemio Murakami in the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic here.

The 42-year-old from Davao, the Philippine Open champ two years ago, opened up with three straight birdies and left the field eating his dust, tallying a 54-hole 13-under 203 for his first victory since the Malarayat leg in February last year.

Salvador posted one of only three sub-par cards on the final day as the field struggled on the sleek greens of one of the toughest championship courses in the circuit.

Pucay had a 73 and Murakami a 74 to finish at 215, with Gene Bondoc, who had a share of the first round lead, carving out a 72 for 216, tied with former Philippine Open champion Cassius Casas, who hobbled home with a 77.

“It definitely feels great to win again,” Salvador, whose only two bogeys in the tournament came in the fifth and 13th holes of the final round, said in Filipino.

“Hopefully, this gives me momentum to close out the season on a high note.”

Pucay missed second place alone after bogeying the final two holes, while Casas, who started the day just four strokes off the eventual champion, signed for a quadruple bogey 9 on the fifth which practically made up that 77.

Former Asian Games bronze medal winner Michael Bibat, still winless as a pro, fired a 73 for 217 and solo sixth, while Richard Sinfuego shot a 74 for 219.

Benjie Magada had a 73, Gerald Rosales a 74 and Danny Zarate a 76 to finish tied for eighth at 220.

Salvador won P200,000 and capped a lucrative three-week stint that included a second place finish in the Asian Tour in Singapore where he won close to P.9 million for finishing behind Hammat Rai.

The biggest margin of victory this year before this belonged to the suspended Juvic Pagunsan when he won the Apo leg for the third straight year by four strokes two months ago.

Murakami, after shooting a tournament-best 66 on Friday, got untracked by three straight bogeys from No. 3 and eventually split P185,000 with Pucay.

Casas put two balls into the water hazard on No. 5 and struggled the rest of the way. He and Bondoc earned P45,000 each for finishing in a fourth place tie.

The 12th leg of the 16-stage circuit is backed by MJ Carr Golf Management Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.