Bayron outduels O’Toole

CARMONA, Cavite, Philippines — Jay Bayron used a fiery start to regain control then held sway at the back and withstood John Michael O’Toole’s late-hole rally to snap a two-year spell via a one-stroke victory in the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Golf Championship here yesterday.

Bayron, who said Thursday he would need a strong start to boost his winning chances after O’Toole joined him at the helm with a 66, birdied three of the first four holes to re-take the solo lead, matched his rival’s birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 then came through with a clutch par-save on the 17th to hack out the thrilling victory on a closing six-under 66 card at the Legends course.

“It’s nice to win again. I thought my days were over but I was still able to pull it off here,” said Bayron, who tied the course record at 10-under 62 in the opening day and strung up a pair of 67s in weather delay rounds to finish with a whopping 26-under 262 total worth $17,500 in the third leg the Philippine Golf Tour Asia Season 2.

A former PGT Order of Merit champion but whose game went on a downswing after scoring back-to-back victories at Wack Wack and Riviera in Aug. 2016, Bayron seized a one-stroke lead with a 33 start then moved 2-up as O’Toole flubbed a six-foot par-putt off the bunker of the par-3 No. 12. He then flashed steely nerves as he matched the American’s birdies in the next two, made a two-putt for par from the fringe on No. 17 then rode the final hole pressure with a routine par off a fairway bunker to secure the victory.

O’Toole pulled to within one with a birdie on No. 17 and nearly forced a playoff after his birdie putt from 10 feet fell inches short of the cup. He closed out with a 67 for a 263 for second while Finland’s Teemu Putkonen took third place with a 269 after an eagle-spiked 64.