OSCAR Zetterwall of Sweden closed out with a second straight four-under-par 68 and completed a rally from four strokes down to break through as a pro, ruling the ICTSI Sherwood Hills Classic ADT over Japan’s Toru Nakajima in Trece Martirez, Cavite, Saturday.
Teeing off four shots behind Thailand’s Kasidit Lepkurte, Zetterwall gunned down three birdies in his first nine holes to gain control before Nakajima fumbled his golden chance to tally 272 over the wind-swept layout and win the $10,500 top prize.
“It’s always a war on the golf course and I was lucky that I made it,” said Zetterwall, a 27-year-old from Stockholm, who put away the championship with a birdie 4 on the 15th and pars in his last three holes.
Nakajima, the only foreigner to win on the Philippine Golf Tour, kissed all his chances goodbye with a missed green bogey on the 17th, settling for a 71 and 283, a stroke ahead of three foreigners, counting Kasidit, who skied to a 76.
Clyde Mondilla had his version of a 71 and was the best-placed Filipino at 285, tied with Canadian Lindsay Reynolds and Nick Sherwood of the United States who turned in 70s.
11 birdies
Jobim Carlos, the rookie pro who struggled to make the cut after a 78 and a 72 in the first two rounds, gunned down an astonishing 11 birdies for a 64 and finish in a tie for 18th spot with a 288 total.
Guido Van Der Valk, the veteran from The Netherlands who calls Philippines home, shot a 74 for 284 for solo sixth, his best finish in a long while.
PH shut out
Zetterwall’s victory also meant that the Philippines was shut out in the two stops of the ADT this year after Gavin Green of Malaysia ruled the Manila Southwoods leg two weeks ago also by coming from behind in the final day.
Local aces Miguel Tabuena, Angelo Que and Juvic Pagunsan didn’t play here this week, campaigning in the more lucrative Asian Tour leg in Japan.
Rufino Bayron and Ryan Lam fired a 73 and a 75, respectively, to finish tied with the 23-year-old Carlos.