North dominates Duel 4 opener

Michael Bibat gunned down a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to lift his partnership with Miguel Ochoa to a thrilling 1-up victory over Elmer Salvador and Arnold Villacencio, boosting Team North to a three-point lead over South in the opening fourball of The Duel—North vs South Tuesday at Wack Wack East in Mandaluyong.

The victory in the day’s last pairing gave Team North 4.5 points counting earlier wins by Angelo Que and James Ryan Lam, Mars Pucay and Keanu Jahns and Gerald Rosales and Jun Bernis.

Charles Hong and Clyde Mondilla delivered the lone win for the defending champions, who settled for 1.5 as the favored Jay and Rufino Bayron could only halve the point against the North’s Randy Garalde and Joenard Rates.

Que and Lam nipped Tony Lascuña and Orlan Sumcad, 1-up; Pucay and Jahns overwhelmed Cassius Casas and Ferdie Aunzo, 3 and 2; and Gerald Rosales and Jun Bernis clobbered Jhonnel Ababa and Marvin Dumandan, 4 and 3, in the best-ball format of the event sponsored by ICTSI.

Hong and Mondilla pulled off a 3-and-2 romp over Miguel Tabuena and Benjie Magada.

With a three-point cushion, the Northerners try to pad their lead in today’s foursomes (alternate shot) with Que teaming up with Pucay against Dumandan and Aunzo; Bibat and Bernis facing the Bayrons; Rosales and Jahns taking on Lascuña and Sumcad; Tabuena and Rates colliding with Hong and Ababa; Lam and Ochoa clashing with Casas and Mondilla; and Magada and Garalde mixing it up with Salvador and Villacencio.

Salvador and Villacencio birdied No. 15 to draw level and after both teams traded pars in the next two holes, it looked like the day’s final duel would end in a tie. But Bibat, after checking the line of his putt on the 18th hole, delivered the birdie that he himself did not expect.

“It was close all the way. Miguel birdied Nos. 13 and 14 but they also birdied Nos. 14 and 15,” said Bibat, a former Asian Games bronze medalist with one pro victory in 2013.

“We didn’t expect to win since were the underdogs,” said Rosales of his win with Bernis. “But we played our best and Jun’s game complemented mine.”