Sinfuego ends title drought

BAGUIO — What he had failed to do at Southwoods, Richard Sinfuego did it here in Baguio but the talented Canlubang pro had to shoot a stirring course record-tying 60 yesterday to turn back a gutsy stand by Japanese Tonokazu Yoshinaga and an ace-spiked round by buddy Tony Lascuna to win his first pro title in five years.

The drizzle in the closing holes of the final round of the Camp John Hay Open literally washed away the bitter taste of Sinfuego’s long years of frustration that started right here in 1997 when he, along with former national teammates Rey Pagunsan and Lascuna, joined the pro ranks in the Philippine Open after a checkered amateur career.

That included his setback in the MRT Southwoods Open two weeks ago where he blew a two-shot lead in the final round to yield the title to Pagunsan, but he said that it served as a rallying point in his pursuit for golfing excellence in this event presented by College Assurance Plan.

"Nadale rin at nakabawi din ako dun sa talo ko sa Southwoods. Naging rallying point talaga sa akin yon," said Sinfuego, whose closing eight-under card gave him a winning 262-aggregate and a one-stroke win worth P100,000 over Yoshinaga.

But he needed an explosive windup — five birdies at the backside (29), including the lead-grabbing bending eight-footer on No. 17 — to foil Yoshinaga, who started the round one shot ahead of Lascuna and 3-up on Sinfuego and who tenaciously hung tough until the very weapon he had used in upstaging the local bets in the first three rounds — his trusted putter — betrayed him in the last three holes.

Yoshinaga, who had the least three-putt bogeys in the field — one — after 54 holes, three-putted the par 5 16th for par, enabling Sinfuego, playing in a flight ahead, to tie him after sinking a curling six-foot birdie putt on the par 3 15th. He had a poor approach on the 17th and missed another 15-foot bid, then failed to force a tie with a two-putt par putt on the 18th. He wound up with a 64 and a 263 worth P50,000.

Lascuna failed to sustain the momentum of a 61 in the third round as he struggled with up-and-down pars over the up-and-down John Hay layout on the first six holes. But a crisp eight-iron tee-shot on the 150-yard No. 7 sailed across the street, bounced twice on the putting surface before rolling and disappearing into the cup. He used a Mizuno club and a Wilson No. 1 ball in doing the feat.

He jumped in joy, while those forced to stop on both sides of the lane curiously craned their necks out of their car windows to check out the milestone of the dusky shotmaker who won his first pro victory at the nearby Baguio Country Club course in the 1998 Ericsson Tour.

But the ace, his first, failed to give Lascuna even a share of the lead as he remained one behind Yoshinaga and Sinfuego up to the 14th. Then his bid fizzled out with harrowing back-to-back three-putts from No. 15 before settling for a 64 and a 264 worth P34,000.

Pagunsan and Canadian Rick Gibson closed out with identical 65s to share fourth place at 267, followed by Danny delos Santos (64-268) and Lito Rempojo and Carito Villaroman, who tied for seventh with 270s.

After a birdie on No. 2, Ramon Brobio, two down at the start of the round, double-bogeyed the par 3 No. 4 then dropped two more strokes on the next two holes and bowed out of contention. He finished with a 70 for a 271 for a share of ninth place with Mars Pucay (64) and Elmer Salvador, who matched Lascuna’s 60 and Rodrigo Cuello’s effort during the 1999 staging of the Goma Cup.

Although eight players stood in contention for the crown at the start of the day, only three – Sinfuego, Yoshinaga and Lascuna – slugged it out majority of the way with Lascuna fading out with five holes remaining and Yoshinaga failing to put his 7-iron tee shot on the 18th into a makeable birdie putt for a chance for a playoff.

"I only think of Lascuna. I only learn of Sinfuego’s charge on the final hole," said Yoshinaga, who thought he had the victory in sight after Lascuna’s bogeys. He then muffed a six-foot birdie try on the 16th, missed an approach shot on the reachable par 5 17th before hitting his last tee shot at the back edge of the sloping 18th green where he had to sink a downhill birdie attempt from about 16 feet.