Santos-Ocampo tops 3-man playoff

DAVAO—Carl Santos-Ocampo rolled in a curling 15-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to beat James Ryan Lam and Randy Garalde and post his maiden Tour victory at the P1-million ICTSI Ranchos Palos Verdes Classic yesterday.

Santos-Ocampo survived a day-long shootout with Lam, Jun Bernis and Garalde, who was in the flight ahead, with steady shotmaking and superb putting at the rolling Palos Verdes course.

The 24-year-old victor struck a 9-iron from 159 yards to about two pin lengths on their third go at the par-4 18th, then watched his rivals flub their own birdie putts to clinch the win in the most tightly fought leg of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

The victory, worth P200,000, erased the stigma of Santos-Ocampo’s meltdown at the ICTSI John Hay Championship where he blew a big final-round lead and allowed Marvin Dumandan to seize victory last April.

Santos-Ocampo, Lam and Garalde, who wound up with 10-under 206s, all parred the first playoff hole with the Fil-Am shotmaker barely missing a 12-foot birdie try on the last hole of regulation.

Lam, tied with Santos-Ocampo after 36 holes, birdied three of the last five holes for a 68, while Geralde picked up a stroke on the 18th to post the first 206 with a fiery 66. They halved the combined P185,000 purse in the event organized by the Phillippine Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Bernis missed joining the playoff after a wayward drive on the tough par-4 18th. He shot a 68 for 207 in a tie with Rufino Bayron.

Bayron also strung up four birds from No. 12 to reach 9 under  but flubbed a couple of birdie putts inside 8 feet in the last three holes and fell short with a 67.

Zanie Boy Gialon, who nipped Tony Lascuña in a playoff for a title breakthrough at the Negros Occidental Classic fireda a 68 for 208.

Ramil Bisera, winner of the Samsung-Emcor Davao Pro-Am three weeks ago, fired a 66 and settled for solo seventh at 209.

Charles Hong shot a 69 to share eighth place with Arnold Villacencio, who made a 71, at 213.