Ilas cruises to 3-shot LPGT Beverly win

MANILA, Philippines - Teener Bernice Olivarez-Ilas enhanced a promising golf career by bagging the ICTSI Beverly Place Challenge crown yesterday, bucking a shaky start then holding off Sam Martirez with a 74 to win the duel of amateurs at the Beverly Place Golf Place in Mexico, Pampanga.

Ilas, 14, stumbled with a double bogey on the opening par-5 hole but regained her overnight three-shot lead over Martirez on a two-shot swing on No. 3 which she birdied from six feet then kept a safe distance from her The Country Club teammate by matching the latter’s lone birdie, pars and bogeys in the next 14 holes.

The La Salle-Zobel student, who won the Jungolf-The Junior Golf League tournament here last week, then capped another romp in a day of soaring scores at the flat but tricky par-71 layout with a birdie on the par-5 18th, her closing two-over card proving more than enough to secure her biggest win in a young career.

She pooled a 54-hole 215 total and won by three over Martirez, who hardly cashed in on Ilas’ early fumble with a bogey on the third and fell by three again.

Still, The Masters Academy student pressed her bid at the back but just couldn’t set up birdie chances or sink a couple of makeable putts, also finishing with a 74 for a 218, marking the second time in the country’s ladies pro tour that the amateurs took the top two spots after Korean Hwang Min Jeong edged Princess Superal at Mt. Malarayat last year.

“I’m glad I played steady and was able to focus on my game,” said Ilas, who thus became the third amateur to win on the ICTSI Ladies Philippine Golf Tour. “We’re so lucky to be given this chance to play with the pros because it’s a different feeling and challenge playing against them.”

Chihiro Ikeda, tied with Martirez at second after 36 holes, never got back into the mix against her amateur rivals, making four bogeys in a five-hole stretch from No. 2 and limping home with a 78 to finish a far third at 222.

The former SEA Games gold medalists, however, took the top purse of P100,000 as the top pro in this third leg of the LPGT but remained winless into the fourth year of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by Custom Clubmakers, adidas, KZG, Sharp, Summit Mineral Water, Srixon, Champion, TaylorMade and Pacsports.