Jahns pulls off breakthrough win in ICTSI Forest Hills

ANTIPOLO – Keanu Jahns overcame a shaky start and fended off strong challenges from Rupert Zaragosa and Randy Garalde to claim a long-awaited Philippine Golf Tour victory at the ICTSI Forest Hills Classic, battling through a drizzle and sealing the crown with a brilliant final-round 68 at the Nicklaus course here on Saturday.

The two-stroke triumph over Zaragosa, highlighted by pivotal birdies on Nos. 6, 10 and 13, was a significant milestone for the tall, power-hitting Jahns, erasing years of frustration and close finishes since turning professional in 2013.

A series of near-misses had plagued his quest for victory, but this time, Jahns, who will turn 29 on Sunday, September 22, kept his composure to secure the elusive title with a 14-under 270 total, earning him P360,000.

Jahns credited his victory to his wife, Daniella, who typically serves as his caddie but stayed off the course this time due to being seven months pregnant.

"This win has been a long time coming. I've had many close calls with second and third-place finishes, but this week I finally sealed the victory," said Jahns, who also expressed his gratitude to all his sponsors, including Golf Depot, for their unwavering support.

Jahns dominated the par-5 sixth hole for the fourth consecutive day, his clutch birdie pushing him back into the lead as both Zaragosa, who tied him at 10-under with birdies on Nos. 1 and 3, and Garalde settled for pars.

From there, Jahns was never seriously threatened.

He extended his lead with birdies on Nos. 10 and 13, widening the gap to three strokes, this time over Garalde. Zaragosa, who impressed with a frontside 33, couldn't maintain his momentum, parring four straight holes on the back nine and bogeying the 14th to slip to third.

Garalde briefly reassumed the role of challenger with a birdie on No. 12, snapping a run of 11 pars. However, he couldn't match Jahns’ birdie on No. 13 and dropped back to third with a bogey on the par-3 15th, which Zaragosa birdied to spark a late three-birdie binge and reclaim second place.

Ultimately, both Zaragosa and Garalde ran out of holes, unable to mount a serious, last-ditch challenge as Jahns stayed steady with consecutive closing