By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Ricky Castillo closed out with a vibrant 5-under-par 67 to capture his first PGA Tour title at the Puerto Rico Open in Rio Grande on Sunday, March 8 (Monday, March 9, Philippine time).
The American, whose paternal grandparents were from the Philippines but moved to Kauai, Hawaii, overcame a one-stroke lead by 18-year-old Blades Brown with six holes to play when the latter went from a bunker to the water and made triple bogey.
Castillo, for his part, made a 12-foot birdie putt on the 12th then pitched over the mounds to five feet for birdie on the next hole to hold his ground on his way to a bogey-free round and the crown in this $2 million event.
Earlier, he shot an eagle 3 on the sixth and a birdie on the seventh.
Castillo finished with a 17-under 271 after firing 68 on his first three rounds, winning by one stroke over Chandler Blanchet, who had a similar 67 highlighted by a birdie on the final hole for 272. Brown, for his part, fell to solo third with 274 after finishing with a 69.
The victory earned Castillo a berth in the PGA Championship. He was already eligible for The Players Championship next week.
He also pocketed the $720,000 championship purse (around P42.5 million).
