Delariarte survives, conquers, reigns

CANLUBANG — In a test of will, mental toughness and resiliency featuring the cream of the pro crop and over at perhaps the toughest course in the land, Jerome Delariarte passed all them — with flying colors.

Delariarte overcame a disastrous start, bucked the challenge of a slew of rivals that chased him like no other in one long stretch in another wind-blown day here at The Country Club, then outgunned Cookie La’O in a nerve-wracking finish to capture his first career win and become the country’s newest millionaire yesterday.

Delariarte lost a two-stroke lead as he lost his putting touch in the early going but watched his rivals fall like dominoes in the closing holes en route to carding what proved to be the worst final round score in recent memory — a seven-over par 77 for a one-stroke victory over La’O.

"It’s really a nice feeling to win here in this kind of (playing) condition and all those (challenges)," said Delariarte, whose sputtering start on a course so daunting with the presence of howling winds and with a putting surface so difficult to read paved the way for a wild and wooly final round chase for the richest purse staked in local pro golf outside of the Philippine Open.

At least four other players got a crack at the top P1.1 million purse, including last year’s champion Tony Lascuna, Cassius Casas, winner of the inaugural tournament in 2003, former RP Open champions Gerald Rosales and Robert Pactolerin. But all faltered one after the other and in the end, it became a virtual survival of the fittest with Delariarte proving to have the tools to overcome such challenge, winning despite a final-hole bogey. He had a 284, a four-over total that included rounds of 68, 68, 71.

La’O seized control with a par on the tough par-4 No. 4, which Delariarte bogeyed, his fourth straight. But a flubbed par-putt from just about three-feet on the next stalled La’O’s charge and a couple more bogeys at the turn enabled Delariarte to regain the lead. La’O reeled farther back with another bogey on No. 15, a muffed par putt from four feet, and he spent the rest of the holes hoping for a Delariarte collapse. That never came.

"I thought I got it," said La’O, who finished a shade better than Delariarte with a 76 and settled for the P605,000 purse with a 285.

As Delariarte and La’O limped with 41 and 40, respectively, after nine holes, Lascuna, whose 66 in the third round resuscitated a sagging title-retention bid here, found himself a bewildered leader with a 34 at the front. But he bogeyed the first two holes at the back and blew it all when he double-bogeyed No. 16 from a fairway bunker and a three-putt stint on the green. He finished with a 74 and tied Pactolerin, who moved to within one with a birdie on No. 16 only to bogey the final two holes, for third at 286. Each took home P330,000.

Casas battled back from six strokes down to catch the leaders at the helm at 3-over total. But the Davaoeño shotmaker hit an errant 2-iron drive on the par-13th that went out-of bounds. Disgusted, he went back to the mound and hacked a rescue wood in the middle of the fairway, reached the green in four but four-putted in an atrocious meltdown by one of the most fancied players in the fold. He also wound up with a 74,enabling Danny Zarate, who also had a 74, to tie him for fifth at 287. Each got P192,500.

Richard Sinfuego shot one of the day’s two best scores of 73, if one may call that best, finishing in joint eighth with two others at 290. Other 10 over par scorers were Benjie Magada, who had a 75, and Mars Pucay, who made a 6 on a par-3 17th for a 79. Each won P99,000.

"At least now, I can say that I got one (local) title. That’s one step," said Delariarte.

Actually, he took many steps on the road to victory. That’s after he dropped too many strokes in the first four holes — four in all — as La’O quickly surged ahead with a running even-par card with a host of others – one, two or even three flights ahead — bouncing back into contention.

But three straight bogeys from No. 7 dropped La’O back to second with Lascuna snatching the lead with a scrambling par on No. 9 from a spectacular chip shot from way out. He led the field at 2-over on No. 10 but bogeyed the par-3 11th to create a five-way tie on top with Delariarte, La’O, Casas and Rosales.

But Delariarte and La’O proved up to the task better than the veterans, with Lascuna bowing out with that 6 on No. 16, Rosales failing to sustain a 33 at the front with three straight bogeys from No. 11 and Casas throwing it all away with that errant drive and an uncharacteristic four-putt stint on No. 13.

Pactolerin tried to make a run with three birdies from No. 12 to 16, only to falter with bogeys on the final two holes.

In the midst of all these attacks and foldups, Delariarte stayed focused despite a frontside 41 as he came through with gutsy pars and a tap-in birdie on No. 14 to reach the No. 18 mound the way he started the round.

With a two-stroke lead over La’O. Reigning Singapore Open champ Michael Bibat emerged the tournament’s low amateur as he shot a 75 for a 292 for joint 11th with pro Rey Pagunsan (75) and national amateur titlist Jun Bernis (73), whom be nipped in the countback.