Jahns finishes off Forest Hills field to break through

Keanu Jahns finally broke through as a pro on the eve of his 29th birthday on Saturday, with a gutsy three-under-par 68 giving him a two-shot win in the P2-million ICTSI Forest Hills Classic in Antipolo.

Falling into a tie for the lead early in the front nine, the Filipino-German played his final 13 holes at four-under to wind up with a 270 tally and claim his first win in an 11-year pro career marred by a lot of near-misses and close shaves.

“This win has been a long time coming,” Jahns said after a splendid week that had him leading by as large as five shots at the end of the second round. “I’ve had many close calls with second and third-place finishes, but this week I finally sealed the victory.”

The pint-sized Zaragosa, who closed out with a 67, gave great chase after teeing off three shots off the pace. He forced a tie for the lead after two birdies in his first three holes before a Jahns bogey at No. 5.

But a Jahns birdie on the next hole touched off an impressive finish that had him picking up four shots in his next 11 holes that got the job done.

“I didn’t let the bogey on No. 5 bother me (and) I bounced back with a birdie on the next hole,” Jahns said. “My game felt steady today, and I took full advantage of the par-5s.” He birdied all of the three par-5s on Saturday.

Antonio Lascuña carved out the final round’s best score, a 65, to salvage third spot.