LIPA City – Abe Avena bucked wet condition and fought back from three down with four holes left then edged Rolly Viray in sudden death to regain the Philippine Senior and Mid-Amateur Open Championship crown at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Batangas here yesterday.

Avena pounced on a clutch two-shot (birdie-bogey) swing on the par-3 No. 15 and on another Viray bogey on the 16th to force a playoff at 230 after a 76 then parred the first extra hole on No. 1 of Mt. Lobo to clinch the victory, his second in the last three years.

Viray, who surged ahead by three after two rounds, fumbled with a 79 and bogeyed the sudden death hole to finish second while Damasus Wong also wound up with a 75 and finished third at 234 in the rain-hit final round of the tournament sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Golf Tour.

Dave Hernandez, last year’s runner-up to absentee Abe Rosal, rallied with a 74 but could only place fourth at 238 followed by Mari Hechanova and Renato Unson, who finished at 244 after an 80 and 81, respectively, while William Goodwin made an 80 for a 246.

Forest Hill’s Judson Eustaquio carded a 73 then held off a charging Rhoneil Cousart to capture the Mid Amateur Open division title on a 146. Cousart, who hobbled with a 76 in the first round, overcame a 38 start with birdie and eagle on Nos. 16 and 17, respectively, to salvage a 72. He, however, fell short by two and settled for runner-up at 148.

Raymund Sangil turned in a 75 and nipped three others by one for third with a 152. The 153 scorers were Eric Escalona (73), Derek Ramsay (76) and Tootsie de Jesus (80).

Meanwhile, the championship in two other divisions of the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines were cut short to 18 holes due to heavy rains with Noel Guevara ruling the Mid Am 2 with a 91 and Roger Telan topping Senior I with an 82.

New NGAP president Martin Lorenzo and sec-gen Bones Floro also failed to land and make it to the awards rites in time due to weather condition.

Toshikazu Niwa, on the other hand, took the Senior II title with a 72 and a 151, foiling Alan Alegre, who skied to a 77, by two; Bong Sison copped the Super Senior plum with a 159 after an 83 with Bing Bunye placing second, also after an 83 for a 161; and Augusto Cruz strung up a pair of 84s to capture the Mid Am Division I with a 168, two ahead of Nelson Ventura, who charged back with a 77 for a 170.