Italian ends title drought at Luisita

LUISITA – Michele Ortolani held on with steely resolve in the closing holes yesterday and snapped a long international dry spell, ruling the $100,000 BingoPlus Philippine ADT Open by a shot over a hard-charging Su Ching-Hung at majestic Luisita here.

The 29-year-old Italian drained the marginal birdie on the par-5 16th that highlighted a three-under-par 69 for a 272 total, 16-under over at the tree-lined layout that gave the talented field all sorts of challenges this week.

Sean Ramos and Angelo Que finished as the best among 46 Filipinos that saw action.

“I’m still a little bit speechless. I’m still in the process (of absorbing) that my name is on top (of the leaderboard),” Ortolani, who started the day a shot behind overnight leader Galven Green of Malaysia, said.

“It’s been 10 years since I won internationally...so this is obviously an unforgettable week for me.”

Otolani made the turn at level before draining all three of his back nine birdies in his next six holes, capped by that beauty on 16 for the needed buffer as Su picked up shots on the 15th and 16th in a flight ahead. The Taiwanese carved out a 68 for 273, one shot ahead of Green.