Abe Avena nips Rolly Viray in playoff, bags Senior's crown

LIPA CITY, Philippines — Abe Avena bucked wet condition and fought back from three down with four holes left then edged Rolly Viray in sudden death to regain the Philippine Senior and Mid-Amateur Open Championship crown at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Batangas here yesterday.

Avena pounced on a clutch two-shot (birdie-bogey) swing on the par-3 No. 15 and on another Viray bogey on the 16th to force a playoff at 230 after a 76 then parred the first extra hole on No. 1 of Mt. Lobo to clinch the victory, his second in the last three years.

Viray, who surged ahead by three after two rounds, fumbled with a 79 and bogeyed the sudden death hole to finish second while Damasus Wong also wound up with a 75 and finished third at 234 in the rain-hit final round of the tournament sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour.

Dave Hernandez, last year’s runner-up to absentee Abe Rosal, rallied with a 74 but could only place fourth at 238 followed by Mari Hechanova and Renato Unson, who finished at 244 after an 80 and 81, respectively, while William Goodwin made an 80 for a 246.