Hong eyes 2nd win, OOM lead at ICTSI Valley

Hong eyes 2nd win, OOM lead at ICTSI Valley

Charles Hong hopes to ride the momentum of his big victory at ICTSI Sherwood Hills Golf Classic as he headlines the star-studded field slugging it out for top honors in the ICTSI Valley Golf Challenge firing off May 7 at the Valley Golf Club in Antipolo.
Hong outlasted young Micah Shin in a thrilling backside duel to win the first of four P3.5 million tournaments lined up in this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour with the victory not only giving him the impetus to go for another victory but also boosting his confidence heading to the P2 million tournament.
“I feel great going into Valley,” said Hong after nailing his second career win, the first coming two years ago when he nipped Richard Sinfuego to rule the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro leg. “But not overly confident. I’m still putting in the necessary practice.”
He stressed the need to improve on his driving which will be crucial in his back-to-back title bid on a tight course like Valley and against the cream of the local pro crop.
“I need to improve on my driving since Valley’s fairways are really narrow so it’s very important,” he said.
Not only did he win a whopping P650,000 purse at Sherwood but Hong also moved up to No. 2 in the Order of Merit ranking with an P845,930 earnings, just behind absentee Tony Lascuna’s P885,000 winnings.
But Lascuna, who skipped the event to resume his campaign on the Asian Tour, is expected to re-join the circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc. along with Angelo Que, Miguel Tabuena and Cassius Casas, ensuring another down-to-the-wire battle for the crown in the fifth leg of the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
Shin, meanwhile, will also be coming into event oozing with confidence despite his failed title bid at Sherwood, the setback expected to have toughened up the 17-year-old sophomore pro as he guns for a breakthrough win on his young pro career.
Meanwhile, Hong and the other leading pros will test the par-72 layout in the traditional pro-am tournament on May 6 along with their respective amateur partners from the event’s chief backers, including title sponsor International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and by Nike Golf, KZG, Titleist, Cleveland, Pacsports, Srixon, Callaway, Sharp and FootJoy.
Custom Clubmakers, the pioneer and the only certified professional clubmakers in the country, is also offering P50,000 for the Player of the Year award at the end of the season.
Others tipped to contend for the top P360,000 purse are ICTSI Splendido leg winner Jay Bayron, John Hay stage champion Jun Rates, Elmer Salvador, Zanie Boy Gialon, Randy Garalde, Mars Pucay, Jessie Balasabas, Gerald Rosales, Clyde Mondilla, Anthony Fernando, Marvin Dumandan and Frankie Minoza.
Also fancied to crowd the favorites is Valley pro Benjie Magada along with Canadian Rick Gibson, Dutch Guido Van Der Valk and Koreans Kim Chang Hoi, Park Jun Song and Nam Ji Soo.(pr)

Lascuna foils Dumandan, cops ICTSI crown by 1

GEN. TRIAS, CAVITE – Dabawenyo Tony Lascuna made two clutch par putts from long range in the closing holes to frustrate a hot-charging townmate Marvin Dumandan and snap a seven-month long title spell by winning the rich million ICTSI Eagle Ridge Classic crown by one with a 71 at the Eagle Ridge Golf and Country Club’s Aoki course yesterday.
Lascuna recovered from early miscues that enabled Elmer Salvador, another Dabawenyo, to bounce back but the former pounced on the latter’s shaky putting to pull away before spoiling Dumandan’s course-record setting eight-under 64 in a flight ahead with gutsy pars in the last two holes to rule the P3 million event which served as the third leg of this year’s ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

Dumandan went on a birdie-binge and an eagle in the closing holes to fire the tournament-best 64 but failed to forge a playoff as Lascuna steeled himself up and came through with pressure-packed putts to nail the win with a seven-under 281 total.

“Nalaman ko lang sa No. 16, may nagsabi sa akin na 1-up na lang ako kay Marvin. Pero di naman ako kinabahan. Inisip ko lang na mag-safety par sa last two holes,” said Lascuna, who knocked in a delicate putt from 12 feet on the par-4 17th and banged in the clincher from eight feet on the final hole, also a par-4.

Fittingly, Lascuna emerged as the lone player to have completed a run of under-par scores in four days at three courses, taming the demanding Faldo layout with a 71 and taking charge of the field with a 69 at Norman. He took a three-shot cushion with a 70 in the third round at Aoki then held on to pocket the crown worth P550,000 in the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Dumandan, who shared the first round lead with Jay Bayron but fell eight down at the start of the final round, also learned that he was just two down on the final hole then rolled in a 16-footer to threaten within one.

“Ganado talaga ako kasi maganda palo at mainit ang putting ko sa backnine, pero matigas talaga si Onyot (Lascuna), di natinag,” said Dumandan.

Still, it was a big windup for the long-hitting Dumandan, who remained winless in two years but took the runner-up purse of P370,000 on a 282 and gained confidence and some momentum for the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized circuit’s next leg at Sherwood Hills two weeks from now.

“Magandang panalo din ito, Napakahirap ng laban dito kasi iba-ibang courses at kailangan ang magandang diskarte. Mabuti na lang at nag click ang putting sa bandang huli,“ said Lascuna, whose victory kept him on track for a record three-straight Order of Merit crown. He won two titles last year, including the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship last September and turned in four runner-up finishes to win the OOM title for the second straight year.

Three-up on Salvador after 54 holes, Lascuna wavered in the early going, bogeying Nos. 4 and 5 and enabling Salvador to close to within one with a slew of pars. But Salvador missed the green on No. 6 and made a bogey and Lascuna birdied the next to go 3-up again, padding his lead to four with another birdie on the ninth.

Salvador failed to threaten again with missed putts for birdies at the back, but in a flight ahead, Dumandan kept pounding the course in sweltering heat, sustaining a three-under card after nine holes with a birdie on No. 12 and an eagle on the par-5 15th when he hit a superb 6-iron shot from 210 yards and canned in the putt from 30 feet out. He tapped in for birdie on the par-3 16th off a solid 7-iron from 212 yards and after a routine par on the 17th, Dumandan holed out with another birdie for that 64.

Charles Hong, the third man in the championship flight, fought back from a two-over card at the front and saved a 73 and dropped to joint third with Salvador, who had a birdie-less 72, and Angelo Que, who rallied with a 67, at 287.

Each took home P170,000.

Bukidnon’s Frankie Minoza, who won three titles last year, hit back-to-back birdies from No. 2 and shot a 70 to finish solo sixth at 291 worth P115,000 while Canadian Rick Gibson emerged as the best-placed foreign player for the second straight time at seventh at 292 despite a 73. He received P100,000.

Gibson, mentor of young gun Miguel Tabuena, also wound up joint ninth at ICTSI Camp John Hay Championship two weeks ago in Baguio.

Bayron, winner of the kickoff leg at ICTSI Splendio, carded a 73 and finished tied for eighth at 294 with Jhonnel Ababa, who matched par 72, and unheralded Nilo Salahog, who made a 74. Each got P76,000.

The other backers of the event were Nike Golf, Custom Clubmakers, Titleist, Cleveland, Pacsports, Srixon, Callaway, Sharp and FootJoy and media partners Balls TV and ABS-CBN.(pr)