CABANATUAN City – Justin Quiban delivered a breathtaking finale to a rollercoaster final round, sealing a wire-to-wire win at the ICTSI Lakewood Championship with an eagle on the last hole to hold off Ha Taewon in a heart-stopping finale.
After an intense battle marked by a birdie-eagle barrage from both contenders, Ha and Quiban found themselves tied at 17-under par. Both players reached the par-5 closing hole in two, with Ha striking first and putting his second shot 24 feet away from the pin.
Unfazed, Quiban responded with steel nerves, landing his approach 20 feet past the hole. The gallery buzzed with anticipation, bracing for a fierce showdown to decide the hotly-contested crown in the P3 million championship.
Pressure situation
The pressure mounted as Ha lined up his eagle attempt, but the ball narrowly missed. Seizing the moment, Quiban carefully read his putt, pacing it twice with steady focus before sinking the ball with a swift roll into the cup.
Eagle. Victory. Redemption.
“As I walked toward the 18th mound, I focused on trusting my training and preparation. I hit a massive drive, even outdriving one of the Tour’s longest hitters (Keanu Johns),” said Quiban of his final-hole brilliance.
“When I saw Ha reach the green, I reminded myself to just make a solid strike, and I nearly holed out from 170 yards. As Ha missed his eagle putt, I knew I had to seize the opportunity – I didn’t want a playoff.
“My caddie gave me a good line, I followed it, and the putt went in. I just trusted my training; I’ve done this so many times,” Quiban said.
Instead of a wild celebration, Quiban’s fist pumps were subdued after a triumph that almost slipped away after a shaky start. Quiban closed with a 69 to finish at 19-under 269, pocketing the top prize of P532,200.
Ha, who fired a sizzling 68 highlighted by three straight birdies to close, settled for second at 270. But this championship belonged to Quiban, the player who dominated with a record 62 early, stumbled briefly, then stormed back with a dramatic eagle finish that crowned him champion.
Jahns finished third with a 271 after a 67 capped by a chip-in eagle from behind the green at the last, while Lloyd Go and Angelo Que matched 66s for 273 and 276, respectively. Fidel Concepcion shot a 71 to tie Sean Ramos, who faltered with a 73, at 277 and Rupert Zaragosa palced eighth at 279 after matching par 72.
What began as a steady march toward a wire-to-wire victory for Quiban turned into a tense, back-nine battle of nerves. A bogey-double bogey stumble from No. 10 threatened to undo the control he had held all week.
Suddenly, the championship transformed into a free-for-all.
Ha, Jahns and Lloyd Go charged into contention with fearless play. Go, in particular, electrified the leaderboard with four birdies over a five-hole stretch from No. 12 in the group ahead, forcing a four-way tie at 15-under and raising the specter of a playoff.
The momentum had clearly shifted – but not for long.
Refusing to yield, Quiban dug deep and rediscovered the form that produced his record 10-under 62 earlier in the week. He birdied the 12th, then delivered back-to-back clutch birdies from No. 14 that proved to be the turning point.
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