Zach Castro finally claimed a long-elusive crown, delivering a blistering finish to capture the ICTSI Pradera Verde Intercollegiate Tour leg dramatically in Lubao, Pampanga, on Monday.
The La Salle-1 standout birdied his final two holes — including a pressure-packed finish on the par-4 eighth and the closing ninth of the Pinatubo layout — posting a five-under 67 to edge out early clubhouse leader Sean Granada by two strokes.
After two close calls — a runner-up finish in Round 1 at Royal Northwoods and a joint fifth-place effort at Splendido Taal — Castro wasn’t about to be denied a third time in the four-round Tour co-developed by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and the Philippine Golf Foundation.
Locked in a thrilling duel with Granada, the College of St. Benilde-1 ace who carded a 69 in an earlier flight, Castro summoned nerves of steel down the stretch.
The decisive moment came on the par-5 sixth hole, where Castro’s clinical approach set up a birdie to tie Granada at three-under. Then came the fireworks — a birdie on the eighth and a composed finish on the ninth — as he surged past Granada to finally capture the individual crown in style.
“It’s all about attitude,” said Castro, reflecting on his performance. “I stayed composed even when the putts weren’t falling. I just kept it simple — hit the fairways, hit the greens. I know the putts will drop eventually.”
Castro also acknowledged the challenging conditions, saying, “The course is in great shape, but it’s just so hot out there. Hydration was key.”
Unlike many of his fellow competitors, Castro made it a point to track live scoring updates throughout the round.
“Sean’s a good friend, and I know what he’s capable of,” he said. “He was 2-under going into his last hole. When I refreshed the scores and saw he finished at 3-under, I was on my approach shot on 17. That’s when I knew — I had to birdie the last two holes (to win).”
And he did just that.
(C) PGT
If the men’s finish was a showcase of clutch execution, the women’s side proved to be a test of survival — and Shane Tan barely held on.
The Ateneo-2 mainstay seemed poised for a runaway victory after dominating the field for most of the day. Standing on the 16th tee with a four-shot cushion over UP-1’s Addie Manhit, Tan looked well on her way to her first Tour title with a par.
Then the collapse came.
Tan unraveled with back-to-back triple bogeys on the final two holes, finishing with a 90 that opened the door for Manhit to stage a dramatic comeback.
Manhit, the Caliraya Springs leg champion, capitalized with a birdie on 16 to close the gap. But just when a playoff seemed inevitable, she too faltered under pressure — bogeying 17 and making a triple-bogey 7 on the last hole to finish with a 91, missing a golden opportunity to steal the win.
Stacey Chan of La Salle-1 parred the final two holes to finish with a 96, edging out CSB-1’s Natasha Bantug and Ateneo-1’s Simi Tinio, who both ended with 24-over rounds, for third place on a countback.
UP, however, secured the team title for the second straight time with a total of 188, counting Katrisse Datoc’s 97. La Salle-1 finished second with a 193 from Chan’s 96 and Janine Yusay’s 97, while Ateneo-2 clinched third place with a 200 from Tan’s 90 and Tatiana Ong’s 110.
Tan credited her victory to smart course management despite a shaky finish.
“I really leaned on my short game, especially since the greens were rolling so well,” she said.
She faced trouble on the final stretch, including a visit to the water hazard on 17, but held on to secure the win.
“Even with those mistakes, I still believe my course management made the difference,” she added.
Looking ahead, Tan emphasized the importance of continuous improvement, saying, “I’ll keep on practicing. There’s still a lot I need to learn.”
Castro’s round mirrored his electric start, where he birdied the first three holes in a backside start. A lone bogey on 14 briefly threatened to stall his momentum, but he steadied with crucial par saves before mounting his final charge.
Granada, coming off a stormy win at Splendido Taal, appeared in command for much of the day. Starting on No. 10, he crafted a steady card with three birdies against a single bogey, capped off by another birdie on the par-5 ninth to finish at three-under and wait anxiously for the final flight.
But the playoff he braced for never materialized.
UP-1’s Joshua Buenaventura, who topped the opening leg at Royal Northwoods, also staged a fiery late charge, birdieing two of the last four holes to salvage a 71 after a topsy-turvy round that featured four birdies and five bogeys. His steady finish earned him third place.
Teammate Miggy Roque’s 73 proved pivotal in helping UP-1 maintain dominance in the team standings. Their combined 144 edged out rivals to secure back-to-back team leg wins in the three-to-play, two-to-count format of the Tour designed to discover emerging talent, boost school pride, and offer a pathway toward the pro ranks.
La Salle-1 finished second with a 148, with Angelo Fusilero backing Castro’s 67 with an 81, while David Guangko shot an 83 to support Granada’s 69 as CSB-1 wound up third with a 152.
Meanwhile, Round 4 of the men’s tournament will be held on Aug. 17 at Beverly Hills Golf Club, also here in Pampanga, while the women’s division will close out its four-round series on Aug. 24 at Eastridge Golf Club in Binangonan, Rizal.
The season-ending finals, a three-day event, will be held from Sept. 23 to 25 at Splendido Taal Golf Club.
