Alido rallies with 64 to reign at Marapara

Ira Alido waited for the final round to become the first player to truly conquer the Marapara layout, draining seven birdies in shooting a six-under-par 64 to complete a swashbuckling comeback and win the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic by a shot over Antonio Lascuña and Rupert Zaragosa.

More than winning for the second time as a pro, Alido gained the much-needed confidence boost to campaign abroad as his rally from five shots down at the start of the day gave him a 279 tally that beat some of the biggest names on the land.

That included Lascuña, the steady veteran who came into the final round in a four-way tie for the lead but had a costly bogey on No. 17 for a level 70 that left him tied with the pint-sized Zaragosa, who returned a 68.

“I’ve been working really hard the past year and I haven’t been showing any good results,” said Alido, who drained a curling 15-foot putt for birdie on the 72nd hole for what turned out to be the winning stroke. “But now, it’s helping me prepare to play more events abroad.”

Lascuña had a chance to forge a playoff but missed a 25-footer for birdie on No. 18. Frankie Miñoza, also tied for the lead after 54 holes, scrambled to salvage a 71 for 281, a shot better than Jonel Ababa and Zannie Boy Gialon.