CAGAYAN de Oro, Philippines — Kim Joo Hyung became the youngest winner on the Philippine Golf Tour at 16, beating the hottest player on the circuit no less with a kind of resolve and resilience rarely seen in a teenager barely warming up on big-time tournaments.
But the rising Korean star, who honed his talent and skills at Riviera before moving over to Southwoods, proved he’s ripe for the picking, foiling Jobim Carlos with clutch birdies to capture the P3 million ICTSI Pueblo De Oro Championship crown by one on a final round 69 at the Pueblo De Oro Golf and Country Club here yesterday.
Pressed by Carlos after 54 holes, Kim shook off the PGT Apo leg winner’s early charge and hiked his overnight one-stroke lead to three with a gutsy 35 at the turn. He then rode the backside pressure, including a double-bogey mishap on the par-3 11th, by coming through with decisive three straight birdies from No. 15 to frustrate Carlos and clinch the victory on a 72-hole total of 18-under 270 worth a whopping P550,000.
The Filipino ace actually closed out with three straight birdies, a kind of finish that could easily win championships. But he fell short of even forcing a playoff as Kim took a two-stroke lead to the final hole and secured the win with a routine par windup. Carlos also made a 69 for a 271 and took the P370,000 runner-up prize in the fifth leg of the PGT sponsored by ICTSI.