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.