Lascuña cops title

TRECE MARTIRES, Cavite — Another honor for Class of ’97. Tony Lascuña completed a strange sweep of the first three legs of the Philippine Golf Tour by the former national teammates who all turned pro in 1997 as he ruled the Ericsson-Smart zed Sherwood Classic yesterday, nipping Robert Pactolerin by one stroke with a closing eagle-aided 68 and joining buddies Rey Pagunsan and Richard Sinfuego in the circle of winners of the fledgling circuit.

In a bizarre twist to an action-packed final round here at Sherwood, Lascuña fought back from three strokes down with two birdies and an eagle-3 on No. 5 to draw level with Pactolerin then pounced on the third round leader’s putting woes on the 11th to seize the lead for good en route to winning the crown chased by at least three other players on another windy day.

It was indeed a stirring comeback by the 30-year-old Lascuña, who never had any inkling of contending for the title with a so-so one-under total after 36 holes, but took the challenger’s role with a course-record 66 Saturday that lined him up for what he claimed later as the biggest victory of his young pro career.

Lascuña, who won with a 277 worth P100,000, had three other victories since they joined the pro ranks in the Philippine Open in Baguio, but this one proved to be the worthiest with the country’s revered pros in the fold and considering the odds he had to tackle to even gain a crack for the crown.

"Mas maganda ang panalo ko dito dahil nandito lahat ang mabibigat. Ang mabigat pa dito, one-under lang ako sa 36 holes, tapos nanalo pa," said Lascuña, whose gimme birdie on the par-5 15th virtually scuttled Pactolerin’s own fightback as he took a two-shot cushion from there that even his missed-green bogey on the 18th proved to be a giveaway.

He was so carried by his emotions that he made a quick tap-in for his bogey even before Pactolerin and Canadian Rick Gibson could hole out their putts as Lascuña punched the air with full-fisted glee in an anti-climactic fashion.

In effect, it was Pactolerin who putted last, then perhaps in a fit of frustration or whatever, likewise threw a punch in the air, ending his unsuccessful bid to atone for a miserable stint in the John Hay Open in Baguio where he missed the cut.

Pactolerin was led to his downfall by his own prediction as he had said earlier that putting would decide the outcome of the tournament and it was his three-putt double-bogey on the par-3 No. 11 that dropped him out of the leaderboard, enabling Lascuña to wrest a two-stroke lead.

A tap-in birdie on No. 12 put Pactolerin back within shot of Lascuña but that was the closest the portly Las Piñas range pro could muster as he flubbed a couple of makeable birdie putts in two of the next three holes and settled for a 72, snapping a three-round run of under-par scores of 70-69-67. He wound up with a 278 and took home P50,000.

But it wasn’t a two-man affair as four others stayed within striking distance of the duo, led by Cassius Casas, whose bogey-marred 33 start sparked hopes of a great comeback by the most fancied player in the field. But after tying Pactolerin at 10-under on No. 15 on an eagle-par-birdie-birdie run, Casas failed to sustain his charge and blew it all after driving into the bunker on the 18th, finishing with a bogey and a 68 for third at 279 worth P34,000.

Asian PGA Tour regular Rodrigo Cuello and Lito Rempojo, the least player expected to vie for top honors, also made their moves with three-under cards after 8 holes but a bogey and double-bogey, respectively, on the testy par-4 No. 9 ruined their bids and Cuello and Rempojo settled for share of fourth at 282 after a 70 and a 71. Each got P22,500.

Canadian Rick Gibson lost in the power game of the local pros and skied to a 76 for sixth place at 286, the same output put in by Danny Zarate, who had a 73, while Cesar Ababa (71-288), Ruben Sasutil (71-290) and Sinfuego, who won the John Hay Open crown, the second leg of the tour, rounded up the top 10 finishers with a 71 for a 290.

Pagunsan, who ruled the kickoff leg of this circuit sponsored by Ericsson and Smart and supported by La Paz Holdings, CAP, MRT and the Fil-Estate Group of Companies, did not see action in favor of a stint in the Japan PGA Tour where he gained a conditional status last year.