Zaragosa tames long-hitters, rules Negros Occidental classic
BACOLOD—Rupert Zaragosa stood on the 18th tee of Marapara with a three-shot cushion, but his heart was racing. The crowd couldn’t see the nerves, only the composed swing and steady stride of a player about to prove his mettle.
He’d been here before—sort of. Last year, he lifted the trophy at the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic, but that win came after rain shortened the event to 36 holes. This time, there would be no asterisk.
“This one is more memorable,” Zaragosa said. “It’s a full tournament, and my mom and sister were here to see it.”
Over four pressure-packed days, Zaragosa crafted a 14-under-par 266, edging out long-hitting threats Keanu Jahns, Aidric Chan and Clyde Mondilla by two strokes. A final-round 66, built on six birdies and just two bogeys, capped a week where accuracy beat aggression.
From the first hole on Friday, Zaragosa asserted control. His 12-foot birdie putt dropped confidently into the cup. Chan matched it. Jahns missed his. And from there, the duel of styles began—Zaragosa’s pinpoint iron game against his rivals’ booming drives.
“I didn’t mind being outdriven,” said Zaragosa. “I just stuck to my plan.”
Hit fairways, hit greens and trust the putter. That’s all the plan was. And he executed it perfectly.
On the par-3 16th, he dropped an insurance birdie that gave him breathing room down the stretch. Even after a closing bogey on the 18th—where he misjudged his approach in the rain and needed two putts for a six—his lead held firm.
It was a performance that did more than defend a title. It validated his game in an era where distance often dominates. Jahns, fresh off back-to-back wins, threatened with a 67. Chan shot a clean 66. Mondilla eagled the 14th and birdied the last for his own 66. All three tied for second at 12-under 268.
But none could crack Zaragosa’s calm, which had been honed by a third-round 64 that vaulted him into the lead.
“The course fit my game perfectly,” he said. “Most of my second shots were just wedges.”
Zaragosa’s proximity to the hole all week made birdies attainable and bogeys rare. When challengers surged, he answered—not with flash, but with finesse. When pressure mounted, he leaned into belief.
“I really wanted this win to build confidence before my campaign in Japan next month,” he said.
