Zanieboy Gialon turned what many expected to be a tightly contested final round at the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge into a commanding display, winning by six strokes over Angelo Que and Ira Alido with a solid two-under 68 at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club on Friday.
Starting the day with a narrow two-shot lead over Jhonnel Ababa, Gialon seized the moment when Ababa stumbled with a double bogey on the opening hole. The Davaoeño golfer quickly extended his advantage, maintaining control throughout the sweltering final round.
With his closest competitors unable to mount a serious challenge, Gialon didn’t need to match his earlier brilliance to secure the win.
His impressive 64-66 performances in the previous rounds had already placed him atop the leaderboard of the P2.5 million championship presented by More Power and Electric Corp.
Gialon remained composed as his rivals struggled, finishing with a birdie-par-birdie run to seal his victory. By the time he approached the final green, the outcome was clear: Gialon captured his first win in two years with a 13-under total of 267, earning the P450,000 top prize.
“I worked hard for this, training seriously after missing the cut by one stroke at Splendido Taal and Forest Hills. It’s great to see that effort pay off,” Gialon said in Filipino. “I focused on my long game since this course is incredibly tight.”
He credited his putting for his dominant performance, noting, “My putting was really on point. On the last hole, I sank a 20-foot putt.”
“It may have looked like an easy win, but it was tough and exciting. I saw Ira closing in at No. 13, and that pushed me to elevate my game,” he added.
Gialon strengthened his lead with birdies on two of the first five holes, going four strokes ahead of Fidel Concepcion and Ababa. Even a bogey on the eighth couldn’t shake his grip on the title, as his rivals failed to capitalize.
Concepcion, playing ahead of Gialon, briefly rallied with birdies on Nos. 4 and 6 but faltered on the par-4 eighth, never getting closer than four strokes.
Gialon’s bogey on No. 15 hardly affected his lead. He quickly regained a four-stroke cushion over Alido, Concepcion, Tony Lascuña and Que, who were left scrambling for second place.
Alido stumbled with back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 15 and 16, while Concepcion’s hopes faded after a double bogey on the par-5 14th. Lascuña lost momentum with a bogey on No. 15, followed by another on the 18th.
This victory marked Gialon’s return to the winner’s circle since his four-shot triumph at Caliraya Springs in 2022.
Now, he aims to continue his momentum as the Philippine Golf Tour heads into its final two stops in Bacolod and Negros Occidental over the next two weeks, signaling a potential run for back-to-back victories.