He hit the jackpot despite a woeful finish in The Country Club Invitational where his atrocious 7 over par 77 looks like an insult to his challengers who made a bid but could not overcome their own weaknesses.
The victory was worth
R1.1 million from a total pot of R3.4 million, which makes it the biggest winner’s prize in local golfdom. Only the Philippine Open offers a bigger prize.
"It’s really a nice feeling to win here in this kind of (playing) condition and all those (challenges)," said Delariarte who savored his first pro victory.
Delariarte carded a four-day total of 284, 4 over par at the The Country Club which finally punished the entire field by not surrendering a sub par round for the day.
Lao had a 76 and was at 285.
Four others got a crack at the top purse, including last year’s champion Tony Lascuna who was joined in the chase by Cassius Casas, winner of the inaugural tournament in 2003, and former RP Open champions Gerald Rosales and Robert Pactolerin.
But all faltered in the finishing holes.
Delariarte took the jackpot despite a bogey on the final hole.
Earlier, La’O, who was two-shots behind at the start of the day, seized control with a par on the par-4 No. 4, which Delariarte bogeyed, his fourth straight. But a missed par-putt from three feet on the next hole stalled La’O’s charge and a couple more bogeys at the turn enabled Delariarte to regain the lead.
La’O reeled farther back with another bogey on No. 15, and he spent the rest of the round hoping for a late Delariarte collapse.
That never came.
"I thought I got it," said La’O, who finished a shade better than Delariarte with a 76 and settled for the second prize of
R605,000.
As Delariarte and La’O limped with 41 and 40, respectively after 9 holes, Lascuna, whose 66 in the third round resuscitated his title-retention bid, found himself the leader with a 34. But he bogeyed the 10
th and 11th and lost it when he double-bogeyed No. 16.
He finished with a 74 and tied Pactolerin for third at 286. Each took home
R330,000.
Casas battled back from six strokes down to catch the leaders at the helm at 3-over total. But the Davaoeño hit a 2-iron tee shot out of bounds on the par 4 13th. He reached the green in four and compounded his woes by taking four putts to end his agony.
He also wound up with a 74,enabling Danny Zarate, who also had a 74, to tie him for fifth at 287. Each got
R192,500.
Richard Sinfuego shot one of the day’s two best scores of 73 to finish in joint eighth with two others at 290. Other 10 over par scorers were Benjie Magada, who had a 75, and Mars Pucay, who made a 6 on a par-3 17th for a 79. Each won
R99,000. 
