DAVAO CITY -- Amateur Aidric Chan successfully made the transition to the professional ranks with an impressive victory at the Philippine Golf Tour Q-School.
Despite initially facing a four-stroke deficit, Chan staged a remarkable comeback, carding a 68 and securing low medal honors by three strokes at the South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates on Friday.
Kuresh Samanodi, the two-day leader, extended his lead to five strokes with a birdie-birdie performance against Chan's bogey-eagle start.
However, Chan showcased resilience and skill, recording four birdies against two bogeys over the next 14 holes.
In contrast, Samanodi struggled with six bogeys in the same stretch, finishing with a 75 and allowing Chan to take the lead.
Maintaining his momentum, Chan matched Samanodi's birdie on the 17th hole, finishing with a four-day total of four-under 284. This secured the top spot, leading 29 other players who earned their spots in this year's PGT.
The 10-leg circuit is set to kick off with a two-leg Davao swing on March 12 for the ICTSI Apo Golf Classic, followed by the Palos Verdes Championship on March 19-22, alongside the 54-hole Ladies PGT.
Despite being four shots behind Samanodi after 54 holes, Chan's strategic focus on putting up a low score paid off. He expressed gratitude to his family, God, supporters, pal Paolo Wong, and coaches J3 Altea and Tony Lascuña for their contributions to his journey.
Samanodi, who was leading initially, slipped to second at 287, while Korean amateur Min Hyeok Yu claimed third at 288. Japanese Ozeki Kakeru secured fourth place at 292 after a 74.
The Top 30 from the tournament earned Category 6 status for this year's PGT circuit, while those outside the Top 30 settled for Category 7 level. Notable performers included Randy Garalde, Ramil Bisera, and Korean Chon Koo Kang, securing their spots in the prestigious golf circuit.
Top 30 players:
284 – Aidric Chan (am) 72-71-73-68
287 – Kuresh Samanodi 69-70-73-75
288 – Yu Min Hyeok (am) 69-70-73-75
292 – Ozeki Kakeru 69-77-72-74
293 – Kristoffer Arevalo 79-69-70-75, Drew Proctor (am) 70-70-79-74
294 – Minwook Gwon 73-76-75-70, Toru Nakajima 76-73-71-74
295 – Joseph Labajo 76-70-76-73
296 – Kota Fukuyama 76-75-76-69, Daiya Suzuki 79-73-73-71
298 – Ramil Bisera 78-71-75-74, Randy Garalde 75-76-75-72, Kang Chon Koo 77-73-73-75
300 – Edmar Salvador Jr. (am) 72-79-74-75, Collin Wheeler 72-72-82-74
301 – Paul Echavez 80-72-74-75, Carlos Packing 75-76-76-74, Elmer Saban 75-80-80-66
302 – Kim Tae Won (am) 74-77-79-72, Kei Matsuoka 72-75-78-77, John Michaelk Uy (am) 75-75-75-77
305 – Eric Gallardo 77-78-76-74, Emilio Panimdim Jr. 77-73-80-75
306 – Magno Arancon Jr. 81-76-75-74, Ryan Monsalve (am) 78-77-78-73
307 – Koji Inoue 78-75-77-77, Ivan Monsalve 75-83-74-75
308 – Jelbert Gamolo 76-79-79-74, Daiki Ueda 81-79-77-71
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