BACOLOD City – Daniella Uy clinched a two-stroke victory over Chanelle Avaricio in a dramatic final round shootout to capture the ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge crown with a 68 at the at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club here.
Uy nearly let slip her two-stroke edge with a costly double bogey on the par-4 15th, but she quickly regained her composure, delivering a clutch birdie on the next hole to retake the lead.
She then held firm with steady pars over the last two holes to seal her victory with an eight-under 202 total, securing the P117,000 top prize in the Bacolod City leg of the competition.
“It was a roller-coaster round,” Uy said regarding her performance. “I bogeyed the first but bounced back with birdies. I also had several missed birdie chances, but I stayed focused.”
Avaricio, who needed a birdie on the final hole to force a playoff, faltered with a three-putt miscue for bogey, carding a 70 to finish two shots behind at 204, earning the runner up prize of P82,000.
This win marked Uy’s fifth career title, a follow-up to her breakthrough victory in 2021 and a trio of triumphs last year, matching Avaricio’s three-leg win in 2022 before both embarked on international campaigns.
In the men’s side, Reymon Jaraula stormed past his rivals with a brilliant display of skill and composure and fended off Angelo Que’s late surge to secure a one-stroke victory with a closing-round 68.
Jaraula’s final-hole conquest unfolded on the 180-yard par-3 18th, where a pulled tee shot into the wind landed him 40 yards left of the green, sparking a potential playoff with Que, who spiked his scorching 64 with closing back-to-back birdies.
“I never doubted I could save that par. My caddie told me it was the perfect spot to make a chip shot,” said Jaraula, who secured the victory with a 16-under 264 total, earning him P440,000.
“There was pressure on the back nine, especially after Que finished strong with two birdies. But I kept telling myself to just par the remaining holes, and that’s exactly what I did,” he added./PN
