Jobim Carlos and DJ Padilla checked their skid in time with a tap-in par on the final hole to foil the Jet Mathay-Alex Etter and Jelbert Gamolo-Rupert Zaragosa pairs in a thriller of a finish and claim the Delimondo National Pro-am crown at Splendido Taal Golf Club in Laurel, Batangas yesterday.

Carlos and Padilla blew an early three-stroke lead and a two-shot edge over Mathay and Etter with two holes to go on a wild, wobbly windup, enabling the two teams, including Gamolo-Zaragosa, to pull even at three-over card overall heading to the 18th. But they proved steadier in the end with Carlos tapping in Padilla’s muffed birdie-putt from 10 feet on the closing par-4 hole for a 76 to complete a wire-to-wire triumph in the 54-hole championship sponsored by Delimondo with a 219.

Mathay and Etter missed forcing a playoff with a flubbed par-putt bid from eight feet and settled for a 75 for second at 220 while Gamolo and Zaragosa struggled off the mound and the bunker on the final hole and hobbled with a double-bogey for a 77 for third at 221.

“When they caught us on No. 17, we didn’t panic. We believe in ourselves that we can do it. And we made it,” said Carlos, who thus nailed his first pro victory worth P360,000 though in team play. The former amateur hotshot missed scoring a breakthrough on his rookie year in 2016 with a playoff loss to Clyde Mondilla in the Manila Masters at Eastridge Golf Club.

But his pro-am triumph is expected to boost his confidence heading to the resumption of the Philippine Golf Tour in the ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters on May 23. Padilla took home gift prizes for his feat in the event put up by ICTSI and organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Two-up on Mathay and Etter after both teams bogeyed No. 15, Carlos and Padilla dropped two strokes on the par-4 16th to fall into a tie with Gamolo and Zaragosa forcing a three-way tie with a run of pars of their own.

Mathay had a chance to force a playoff but missed his birdie bid from eight feet and threw his cap on the green in frustration.

“I knew it will go down-to-the-wire up to the last hole. Though I missed the putt, I had a good feel but didn’t roll in,” rued Mathay, who took home P250,000 for his runner-up finish.

Gamolo, who placed second last year in tandem with Jolo Magcalayo, received P140,000. Their amateur partners also took home gift prizes from Delimondo.

Richard Abaring and Karloz Alba carded a 73 to finish fourth at 222 while Michael Bibat and Joel Yamyamin ended up fifth with a 223 after a 72. Dino Villanueva and Japanese partner Masaichi Otake turned in a 71 for sixth at 224 while Robert Pactolerin and JR Salahog shot the day’s best score of 70 to snatch seventh place at 225.

Joey Huerva and Junro Mamaril skied to a 77 and wound up eighth at 227 while dethroned champion Tonton Asistio and Jude Eustaquio shot a 75 and finished tied for ninth with Ira Alida-Martin Guiang (74), Jun Sung Park-Jordan Mamaril (76) and Rufino Bayron-Meynard Ko (77) at 228.