Alido rallies from 10 shots down to foil Zaragosa

Ira Christian Alido pulled off an extraordinary come-from-behind victory in the eighth edition of the Faldo Series Philippines Championship.

Trailing tournament favorite Rupert Zaragosa by 10 strokes with just nine holes remaining, it was Alido who eventually prevailed on the first hole of a sudden-death play-off in the 54-hole World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR) event.

For 14-year-old Alido, a student at De La Salle Zobel, it was a stunning upset win that is sure to raise his stock and propel him into the golfing limelight here.

Zaragosa ended with a three-day aggregate of one-under 212, losing out on the overall title to Alido in the 14th leg of the record-breaking Faldo Series Asia season.

For Zaragosa, 284th in the WAGR, there was at least the consolation of winning the Boys’ Under-18 category, thus ensuring him a ticket to Mission Hills China next March for the 10th anniversary Faldo Series Asia Grand Final, to be hosted by the knighted golf legend.