Champ’s name is Strange

Scott Strange played catch-me-if-you-can during yesterday’s final round of the 90th Philippine Open.

Nobody came close to catching the Australian.

With a two-under 70 at the sun-blessed east course of Wack Wack, the 29-year-old Strange had a four-day 280 and a five-stroke win over baby-faced Korean Park Jun-won.

"People were chasing me. But I got off to a good start by birdying the first. It sort of sent a signal to the boys who were chasing me," said Strange, who pocketed $31,700.

Strange was just a stroke up on Taipei’s Yeh Chang-ting at the start of the day. But with three other birdies on the sixth, 11th and 12th, he seemed to have settled the issue with a couple more holes to play.

"I was getting further and further ahead so it made it tougher for them," said Strange, who received a warm round of applause after sinking a four-foot par on the last hole.

The soft-spoken native of Perth acknowledged the crowd, raising his right hand, tipping his hat, then shaking the hands of his Filipino caddy Rudy Hara and flightmates Cookie La’O and Yeh.

During the awarding ceremony, he received the RP Open champion’s belt from former President Fidel V. Ramos and the RP Open trophy from Wack Wack president Ben Abalos.

"I’d like to thank my caddy, Rudy. I thought he could never get around but he did," said Strange of his 65-year-old caddy also known in Wack Wack as "Maestro" or the "master of the greens."

Later on, as he left the interview room, Strange carried his trophy by his right hand, smiling and promising to try and defend it when the RP Open is held at the same Wack Wack layout next January.

"See you next year," Strange told mediamen.

Park, the runner-up, was tied for 16th after three rounds and, with nobody looking, fired the tournament-best round of 67 for a 285 total and a crisp $21,700 check.

Finishing tied for third at 286 and taking home $10,000 each were England’s Chris Rodgers (72) and Taipei’s Lu Wei-lan (71) and Yeh (75).

Filipino Juvic Pagunsan, who kissed his title hopes goodbye with a bogey-double bogey-double bogey finish Saturday, matched par and tied Australian’s Unho Park for sixth. They won $6,300 each.

La’O, whose hard work on the practice range kept him in the fight until the final day, wound up tied for eighth at 289 which was worth $4,000.

La’O almost birdied the 18th when his pitch from just outside the green missed the hole by an inch or two. For all his efforts, in that there was a Filipino in the championship flight, he drew cheers from the crowd.

Gerald Rosales, the 2000 winner, was 12th at 71-290 ($3,000) while Angelo Que was tied for 18th at 76-292 ($2,200). Adam de Vesconte, last year’s champion from Australia, was tied for 15th.

Mars Pucay (73) and Elmer Salvador (75) came in 26th at 294, amateur Marvin Dumandan (74) and Jerome Delariarte (74) in 37th at 296, Marlon Dizon (73), Artemio Murakami (72) and Robert Pactolerin (72) in 43rd at 297, amateur Jay Bayron (79) in 59th at 300, Michael Bibat (75) in 62nd at 301, Danny Zarate (72) in 67th at 305, Anthony Balan (80) in 70th at 306, and Randy Geralde (79) in 72nd at 312.