Zaragosa goes wire-to-wire at Sta. Barbara

Rupert Zaragosa finally breaks through. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Rupert Zaragosa ended a four-year wait to win as a pro, doing it in swashbuckling fashion this week with a nine-shot victory over Antonio Lascuña despite a closing one-over-par 71 in the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge presented by More Power at age-old Sta. Barbara.

Starting the day with an eight-shot advantage, Zaragosa was in cruise control Saturday that not even bogeys in his last three holes mattered as the pint-sized 23-year-old 267 for the win that came a week after finishing tied for second in Bacolod.

“I thank the Lord for finally giving me this win that I’ve been chasing for a long time,” said Zaragosa.

Lascuña matched par to finish a stroke ahead of Dutchman Guido Van der Valk, who struggled to a 73.

Meanwhile, the Asian Tour’s World City Championship at Hong Kong Golf Club has been reduced to 54 holes because of foul weather, with the third round to resume Sunday morning and Miguel Tabuena needing to overhaul a four-shot deficit to Kaichi Kho to win for the second straight week.