TARLAC—David Gleeson ended a long title spell in thrilling fashion, battling back from two down with four holes to go in regulation then edging Erwin Arcillas on the third playoff hole to snare the hotly-disputed ICTSI Luisita Championship crown at the Luisita Golf and Country Club here yesterday.
On the verge of extending a fruitless campaign in various fronts the last seven years, Gleeson toughened himself up in a pressure-packed duel of 40-year-olds and birdied the difficult No. 15 then watched Arcillas crack in mounting pressure and bogeyed the 17th to force a playoff at 11-under 277.
He closed out with a 72 while Arcillas made a 71.
Both birdied the first playoff hole then parred the next, both the par-4 18th, with Gleeson, battling it through the searing heat for the fourth straight day, failing to cash in on his solid drives and Arcillas recovering from a pair of wayward shots to extend the match to a third extra hole, also on No. 18.
But the Brisbane native made sure to wrap it all up the third time around.
After splitting the fairway again, Gleeson knocked it down to within 12 feet and buried the putt, snatching the victory and the top $17,500 purse from the clutches of Arcillas, who drove into the rough and missed the green.
“It was tough but I know I can handle it. I’m prepared for a long game,” said Gleeson, who also needed to buck difficult pin placements, the hot weather and a tough Arcillas to hack out the victory, his first since ruling the 2011 Indian Open. It was also his first local win since powering Team Australia to the 1996 World Amateurs title at Manila Southwoods in 1996.
“I just focused on my game, played smart and grabbed every opportunity,” he added.
That included a two-stroke penalty slapped on Arcillas, who forgot his wedge on the putting green of No. 1. He told his caddie to go back but the latter rode a golf cart, which was not allowed. Arcillas birdied the short par-3 No. 2 but wound up with a bogey for the penalty.
“Despite the loss, I’m happy because it was a very good game. I didn’t expect to contend but I even almost won it,” said Arcillas, who took home his richest paycheck to date worth $11,500. “Actually, I wanted to quit after that penalty but I told myself to just go on and fight.”
He did fight back, coming through with four birdies in the next 11 holes to go 2-up after No. 14, moving in the threshold of breaking a 13-year title drought. But Gleeson made one last charge and he fumbled at the finish and lost steam in the grueling playoff.
Thai Varanyu Rattanaphilboonkij, two behind Gleeson with three 69s, turned in a bogey-free round in the final round but hit just one birdie for a 71, falling short by one at 278 to make it a three-man playoff. He took the $7,000 third prize.
Finland’s Teemu Putkonen shot a 70 and finished fourth at 280 while Tim Stewart, also of Australia, rallied with a 67 to tie Tony Lascuña, who fired a 68, at fifth at 281 and Aussie Darren Beck carded a 68 for joint seventh at 282 with Thais Poosit Supupramai and Tawit Poltai, who turned in 71 and 73, respectively.
Jhonnel Ababa, winner of two tournaments in the inaugural PGTA, limped with a 74 and dropped to joint 10th with Thais Namchok Tantipokhakul (68) and Sorachut Hansapiban (73) and Peter Stojanovski of Macedonia (72) at 283 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.