LAUREL, Batangas – College of St. Benilde’s Sean Granada rose to the occasion on a rain-soaked Sunday, showcasing nerves of steel and sharp course management to clinch individual honors in Round 2 of the ICTSI Intercollegiate Tour at the wind-raked Splendido Taal Golf Club.
Confronted with relentless rain and a course reshaped by bad weather, Granada overcame four bogeys over the first 15 holes then drained a clutch 30-foot birdie on the par-4 16th to highlight a gutsy round of 75 (38-37).
Title double by Benilde
His effort earned him a three-stroke victory over University of the Philippines’ Miggy Roque and Ateneo-1’s Schmuel Tan, who both carded 78s.
“I drove pretty well on the 16th, leaving me just about 90 yards to the pin,” said Granada, 20. “But I hit it short – about 30 feet – but since it was an uphill lie, I charged it and ended up sinking the putt.”
Coming off a joint fourth-place finish in Round 1 at Royal Northwoods, Granada credited his long game for pulling him through.
“My driving definitely saved me, especially in that kind of weather,” he said. “I enjoyed it, but the conditions were really tough – 25kph winds and a lot of rain. It was fun, but also frustrating.”
Roque, who tied for eighth in Round 1, showed flashes of brilliance with two birdies but stumbled with six bogeys and a double bogey for a 40-38 finish, while Tan, making his Tour debut, posted one birdie against seven bogeys for the same score.
With teammate David Guangko adding an 80, CSB also captured the team title with a 155 total, completing a five-shot romp over Ateneo-1 and matching UP’s Round 1 double-title feat. C’Zedrick Sulaik’s 92 did not count under the three-to-play, two-to-count format.
It was a resounding bounce-back for CSB, which finished fourth in team play in Round 1 with Granada anchoring the squad’s surge and giving their campaign a needed boost in the inaugural Tour co-developed by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and the Philippine Golf Foundation.
Ateneo-1’s Emilio Curran backed up Tan’s 78 with an 82 for a 160 team total, good for runner-up honors. La Salle-1 finished third at 162 behind Zachary Castro’s 80 and Miguel Fusilero’s 82.
UP-1 falls flat
UP-1, which dominated Round 1, struggled at Splendido. Emilio Carpio’s 84 joined Roque’s 78 for a 162 total, but the Diliman-based squad lost to La Salle via countback as Round 1 individual champion Joshua Buenaventura faded with an 86.
University of the Cordilleras’ Ranz Balay-odao remained a steady presence, matching his fourth-place finish in Round 1 with a 79, while Castro, Round 1 runner-up, slipped to a share of fifth with an 80.
Meanwhile, Round 2 of the women’s division will be held on Aug. 9 at Caliraya Springs Golf Club in Cavinti, Laguna. La Salle-1’s Julia Lua eyes back-to-back wins in individual play, while Ateneo, led by Monique Mendoza, seeks to make it two straight in team competition.
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