Ababa captures crown as Korean teener DQd

CANLUBANG , Philippines  – Jhonnel Ababa churned out a one-under par 71 and captured the WWWExpress-DHL National Golf Championships men’s crown at the north course of the Canlubang Golf and Country Club here as Korean teener Wang Jeung Hyun was disqualified after refusing to sign his scorecard following an illegal drop on a disputed hole.

Wang, who led the star-studded field by three at the start of the final round, took a double-bogey 6 on the par-4 No. 7 after his approach shot hit the green before rolling back to the water hazard. He claimed the ball spun back and thus took a drop in front of the green.

But rulesman Henry Arabejo, who was with the championship flight that included Jerson Balasabas and Mhark Fernando, said the Korean should’ve made the drop on the left side of the green, the entry point of the yellow stake.

Wang went on to finish with a 74 but the rules committee, which also includes Jack Perez and Jake Ayson, assessed him a two-stroke penalty for a wrong drop on No. 7. The Korean, however, insisted that he had made the right drop and thus refused to sign his scorecard. He also claimed his three flightmates connived against him since they were teammates.

“Do not sign,” said Wang’s father Wang Young Cho.

Had he rectified his error and made an eight on the seventh hole and signed for a 76, Wang would’ve figured into a tie with Ababa at 288, thus necessitating a playoff. But the Korean stood pat on his decision and was subsequently disqualified for refusing to sign his scorecard.

“He made the wrong drop as attested by the three other players and Arabejo who was with the group. Under Rules 20-7, playing in the wrong place merits a two-stroke penalty,” said Ayson, also the executive officer of the organizing National Golf Association of the Phils.

Ababa, who also won the Cangolf Am title last October, thus coasted to a three-stroke victory over ICTSI-Cangolf teammate Balasabas with an even 288 that included rounds of 75, 72 and 70. He anchored his final round fightback on a solid 34 before slowing down with a 37 at the back.

Balasabas, who led in the first two rounds, wound up with a 74 and took the runner-up honors at 291 while youthful Jobim Carlos shot the tournament-best score of 66 to snatch third place at 292.

Chihiro Ikeda completed a three-peat in the ladies side of the event, sponsored by WWWExpress and DHL, carding a 75 and beating Korean Kim Hui Mang by five strokes to annex her first crown in the season.

Ikeda, just one shot ahead of ICTSI-The Country Club teammate Sarah Ababa at the start of the round, fired two birdies against three bogeys to dominate the field with a 222 aggregate.

Kim wound up with a 76 and settled for second with a 227 while newly crowned Southern Ladies Open champion Dottie Ardina salvaged third honors with a 228 after a 75.

Zanieboy Gialon of ICTSI-TCC, shot a 73 and finished tied for fourth with Fernando, who had a 75, while Peter Villaber ended up sixth with a 295 after a 70 followed by Dante Becierra (77-296), Miguel Tabuena (74-297), Seo Hyen Yeom (72-297) and Ok Jae Seong (75-297).