Late birdies lift Jahns to Top 10 as Cho dominates Philippines Golf Championship

Keanu Jahns

Pilipinas Golf

MANILA, Philippines — Keanu Jahns battled through a shaky final round but leaned on a late surge to salvage a 75 and secure a Top 10 finish at the Philippine Golf Championship, which Korean Wooyoung Cho won in commanding fashion at Wack Wack East on Sunday.

Primed for a strong closing run after rounds of 71-71-70, Jahns instead struggled early in the final round. Despite two birdies, he carded four bogeys over the opening nine holes to slip down the leaderboard. The slide continued on the back nine as bogeys on Nos. 11, 13 and 14 pushed him briefly outside the Top 10.

Refusing to fold, the three-leg winner on last year’s Philippine Golf Tour regrouped just in time. Jahns birdied Nos. 16 and 17, then closed with a steady par on the 18th to finish with a three-over-par card and a four-round total of 287. He received $8,650.

The late rally lifted him into a six-way tie for ninth, making him the top Filipino finisher in the $500,000 event that opened the Asian Tour season.

Jahns struggled off the tee, hitting only five fairways, and reached just 10 greens in regulation. However, his short game carried him through as he needed only 28 putts, highlighted by clutch one-putt birdies down the stretch.

Carl Corpus also carded a 75 and settled for a tie for 23rd at 290, while Fidel Concepcion and Rupert Zaragosa shared 36th place at 292 after rounds of 73 and 75, respectively. Ernest Dimayuga slipped to joint 44th at 293 following a 74, while Filipino-Canadian Brycen Ko faltered with a closing 79 to finish tied for 52nd at 294.

Cho, who trailed third-round leader Karandeep Kochhar by two shots entering the final round, overcame an opening bogey on No. 1 to mount a decisive charge. Back-to-back birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 sparked his run, and another pair on Nos. 9 and 10 vaulted him into the lead.

Maintaining momentum, Cho birdied the par-5 14th and capped his round with another birdie on the 18th, firing a 67 for a tournament total of 11-under-par 277. He won by four shots over Thailand’s Pavit Tangkamolprasert (281), who closed with a 70, and took the top purse of $90,000.

Australian Travis Smyth finished third at 283 after a 73, while Kochhar struggled under pressure, skidding to a 77 and dropping to fourth at 285.