FRENCH TOAST: Sale ecstatic over game-changing win

CARMONA, Cavite — A breakthrough victory.

Julien Sale of France birdied his first three holes on the back nine to seize control and then posted a five-under-par 65 on Sunday to win the $500,000 (approximately P29 million) Smart Infinity Philippine Open at the Masters course of Manila Southwoods.

The 27-year-old Sale, who went through qualifying school in Thailand late last year, bagged his first professional title in his debut Asian Tour event with a total of 269, edging out Japan’s Tomoyo Ikemura and Thailand’s Sadom Kaewkanjana, who both had chances to force a playoff with eagles on the final hole.

Ikemura, who held the overnight lead, and Kaewkanjana, the leader after the first two rounds, each settled for birdies on the par-5 18th, carding rounds of 68 and 67, respectively.

Filipino golfer Miguel Tabuena shot a 66 and finished as the highest-placed Filipino, four shots behind Sale.

“I’ve been playing well all week,” Sale said, acknowledging that the win has opened new doors for him, including the lucrative International Series in India next week.

“This is big for my career because now I can plan my calendar and play every Asian Tour event I want to play in,” added Sale, who was born on Réunion Island, just off the coast of Mauritius. “This certainly changes the path of my career.”

Ikemura started the day with a one-shot lead over Kaewkanjana and a few others but couldn’t find the extra shots when needed, despite a bogey-free final round. This allowed Sale to lead by as many as three shots going into the final holes.

Kaewkanjana, a two-time Asian Tour winner, briefly held the lead after birdies on Nos. 3 and 4 but dropped two shots on the dogleg-left sixth hole. His late rally ultimately fell short.

Tabuena, meanwhile, battled through another hot day to finish tied for fifth, marking a strong start to his season as he also heads to India for a $2 million event.

“I’m really happy with my performance this week,” said Tabuena, who was 11 shots off the lead after the halfway cut but made a strong comeback. “I’m excited for this year. This is the first tournament of 2025, and I believe it’s going to be a great year.”

Aidric Chan also shot a 66 to finish just a shot behind Tabuena, while Justin Quiban struggled in the middle of his round and finished with a 70, settling outside the top 10, seven shots off the winner.

Sean Ramos had an impressive Asian Tour debut, closing with a 69 for 3-under total and shared 23rd spot.

Japan Tour regular Justin delos Santos rallied with a 67 to climb to joint 43rd on 1-over. Lloyd Jefferson Go and Rupert Zaragosa each carded a 70 to join a big group on joint 47th while Enrico Gallardo settled for tied 59th on 4-over after a 72.

Filipino-Japanese Shinichi Suzuki, a member of the victorious Philippine Putra Cup team, claimed the low amateur honors with a total of 286 after a final round of 72.