LUBAO, Pampanga – Zach Castro finally laid claim to a long-elusive crown, delivering a blistering finish to capture the ICTSI Pradera Verde Intercollegiate Tour leg in dramatic fashion here on Monday, Aug. 11.

The La Salle-1 standout birdied his final two holes, including a pressure-packed finish on the par-4 eighth and the closing ninth of the Pinatubo layout, leading to a five-under 67 to upend early clubhouse leader Sean Granada by two strokes.

After two close calls – a runner-up finish in Round 1 at Royal Northwoods and a joint fifth-place effort at Splendido Taal – Castro wasn’t going to be denied a third time in the four-round Tour co-developed by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and the Philippine Golf Foundation.

Locked in a thrilling duel with Granada, the College of St. Benilde-1 ace who carded a 69 in an earlier flight, Castro summoned nerves of steel down the stretch.

The decisive moment came on the par-5 sixth, where Castro’s clinical approach set up a birdie to tie Granada at three-under. Then came the fireworks – a birdie on the eighth and a composed finish on the ninth – as he stormed past Granada to finally capture the individual crown in style.

“It’s all about attitude,” said Castro, reflecting on his performance. “I stayed composed even when the putts weren’t falling. I just kept it simple – hit the fairways, hit the greens. I know the putts will drop eventually.”

Castro also acknowledged the challenging conditions, saying:  “The course is in great shape, but it’s just so hot out there. Hydration was key.”

Unlike many of his fellow competitors, Castro made it a point to track live scoring updates throughout the round.

“Sean’s a good friend, and I know what he’s capable of,” he said. “He was 2-under going into his last hole. When I refreshed the scores and saw he finished at 3-under, I was on my approach shot on 17. That’s when I knew – I had to birdie the last two holes (to win).”

And he did just that.

If the men’s finish was a showcase of clutch execution, the women’s side proved to be a test of survival – and Shane Tan barely held on.

The Ateneo-2 mainstay seemed poised for a runaway victory after dominating the field for most of the day. Standing on the 16th tee with a four-shot cushion over UP-1’s Addie Manhit, Tan looked well on her way to her first Tour title with a par.

Then the collapse came.

Tan unraveled with back-to-back triple bogeys on the final two holes, ending up with a 90 that opened the door for Manhit to stage a dramatic comeback.

Manhit, the Caliraya Springs leg champion, capitalized with a birdie on 16 to close the gap. But just when a playoff looked inevitable, she too faltered under pressure – bogeying 17 and making a triple-bogey 7 on the last to finish with a 91, missing a golden opportunity to steal the win.

Stacey Chan of La Salle-1 parred the final two holes to finish with a 96, edging CSB-1’s Natasha Bantug and Ateneo-1’s Simi Tinio, who also both wound up with 24-over rounds, for third in the countback.

UP, however, bagged the team title for the second straight time as it pooled a 188, counting Katrisse Datoc’s 97. La Salle-1 finished second with a 193 from Chan’s 96 and Janine Yusay’s 97, while Ateneo-2 clinched third place with a 200 from Tan’s 90 and Tatiana Ong’s 110.

Tan credited her victory to smart course management, despite a shaky finish.

“I really leaned on my short game, especially since the greens were rolling so well,” she said.

She faced trouble on the final stretch, including a visit to the water hazard on the 17th, but held on to secure the win.

“Even with those mistakes, I still believe my course management made the difference,” she said.

Looking ahead, Tan emphasized the importance of continuous improvement, saying: “I’ll keep on practicing. There’s still a lot I need to learn.”

Castro’s round mirrored his electric start, where he birdied the first three holes in a backside start. A lone bogey on 14 briefly threatened to stall his momentum, but he steadied with crucial par saves before mounting his final charge.

Granada, coming off a stormy win at Splendido Taal, appeared in command for much of the day. Starting on No. 10, he crafted a steady card behind three birdies against a single bogey, capping it off with another birdie on the par-5 ninth to finish at three-under and wait anxiously for the final flight.

But the playoff he braced for never materialized.

UP-1’s Joshua Buenaventura, who topped the opening leg at Royal Northwoods, also staged a fiery late charge, birdieing two of the last four holes to salvage a 71 after a topsy-turvy round that featured four birdies and five bogeys. His steady finish earned him third place.

Teammate Miggy Roque’s 73 proved pivotal in helping UP-1 maintain dominance in the team standings. Their combined 144 edged out rivals to secure back-to-back team leg wins in the three-to-play, two-to-count format of the Tour designed to discover emerging talent, boost school pride, and offer a pathway toward the pro ranks.

La Salle-1 finished second with a 148 with Angelo Fusilero backing Castro’s 67 with an 81, while David Guangko shot an 83 to support Granada’s 69 as CSB-1 wound up third with a 152.

Meanwhile, Round 4 of the men’s tournament will be held on Aug. 17 at Beverly Hills Golf Club, also here in Pampanga, while the women’s division will close out its four-round series on Aug. 24 at the Eastridge Golf Club in Binangonan, Rizal.

The season-ending finals, a three-day event, will be held from Sept. 23 to 25 at Splendido Taal Golf Club.