KOREAN expatriate Shin Jin-woo played steady enough to hold off a host of Filipino pursuers yesterday and bag the WWWExpress-DHL Amateur Golf Championship at Cangolf’s north course in Laguna.
Shin carded a one-over-par 73 for a two-shot victory over Jonar Austria as the fancied pair of Andres Saldaña and Gio Gandiongco lost steam in the final nine.
The Korean shared the spotlight with the veteran internationalist Dottie Ardina, who ran away with the women’s crown.
Together with earlier rounds of 77, 70 and 75, Woo finished with a 295 total, seven over par at the heavily wooded layout, with Austria firing a 71 to finish with a 297 total for the best finish of his career.
Jik-Jik Abdon also closed out with a 71 and caught Saldaña and Gandiongco in a third-place tie at 299.
Saldaña submitted a 74 and Gandiongco, a mainstay of PAL Interclub champion Cebu Country Club, returned a 75.
Shin’s victory meant the championship belonged to a Korean for the second straight year after crafty teenager Wang Jeung-hun turned back top Filipino amateurs Clyde Mondilla and Jobim Carlos last year.
Ardina closed out with a 74 for a 54-hole tally of 219, five shots clear of runner-up Sunshine Baraquiel, who carded a 73, in the event sponsored by WWWExpress and DHL and presented by Globe Telecom.
Marvi Monsalve took third place with a 226 total after a 74, with Jayvie Agojo firing a 75 for fourth at 228 in the event backed by Pancake House and Golf Depot with AirPhil Express as official airline.
Jan Philippe De Claro placed sixth with 72-301 followed by Lawrence Celestino (73-302), Keanu Jahns (77-302) and Jung Han-mil (75-304) and Joey Huerva (75-304).