Magada ends title slump via playoff

MANILA, Philippines - Benjie Magada bucked the odds to snap a two-year title drought, nipping Tony Lascuña on the third playoff hole with a tap-in birdie to capture the ICTSI Orchard Golf Championship crown at The Orchard’s Player Course in Dasmariñas, Cavite yesterday.

Slowed down by a bout with arthritis, which forced him to skip last week’s ICTSI Mt. Malarayat Classic, Magada leaned on his experience, a big fighting heart and a superb 5-wood second shot from 235 yards on their fourth trip on the par-5 18th for that title-clinching birdie which Lascuña failed to match from 16 feet.

“It’s really tough to survive and win with this,” said Magada, pointing to his ailing left knee that has hampered his campaign on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour. “I’m so happy to win again. It’s been a long time and it’s a nice feeling to win at my age.”

It was indeed an inspiring win for the 44-year-old Magada, who had forgettable stints in five of the first six legs of the current circuit where he finished outside of the top 10 in three legs while missing the cut in two others.

But after stringing rounds of 69 and 68 to join Lascuña at helm, Magada hung tough with clutch pars at the back to figure in the playoff, actually a three-man shootout after Jay Bayron joined the duo with a closing 70 for a 210.

Magada closed out with a 73 while Lascuña needed a birdie on the 72nd hole to join the sudden death.

Bayron, who had a string of runner-up finishes on the ICTSI-PGT circuit and the Mercedes-Benz Tour, dropped out of contention on the first playoff hole, also on the 18th, when he missed a birdie putt from eight feet.

Magada and Lascuña both made tap-in birdies to advance with the duo sending the playoff to a third hole with a pair of pars, also on No. 18.

But Magada pounced on Lascuña’s errant second shot on their fourth trip on the 18th, hitting a solid 5-wood shot that set up a 12-foot eagle putt to clinch the hard-earned victory worth P200,000.

“I had a poor second shot and a long birdie putt,” rued Lascuña, who settled for P120,000.

Magada also beat Lascuña in the final of the Seremban Masters of the Malaysia Tour in 2008, his last win after scoring three victories in the defunct First Gentleman Circuit in 2003.

Three shots adrift and a flight behind with younger brother Rufino Bayron and ICTSI Forest Hills Classic winner Mars Pucay, Jay Bayron worked his way up with an eagle-aided 33 at the front but missed winning it outright with a bogey on No. 17.

He won P65,000.

Pucay also pressed his bid with a 34 after nine holes but he bogeyed two of the first five holes at the back and needed to hole out with a birdie to shoot a 70 for joint fourth place with Jun Bernis at 211.

Bernis also made a 34 at the turn but missed a couple of birdie chances and also wound up with a 70.

Casas, who sparked hopes of snapping a long title drought on the local front when he moved within one stroke of Lascuña and Magada after 36 holes, bogeyed three of his first 12 holes and finished without a birdie for a 75. He slipped to joint sixth with Rufino Bayron, Danny Zarate and amateur Jerson Balasabas at 213.

Rufino Bayron, who once won a leg on the ICTSI-PGT circuit as an amateur, shot a 35 at the front but like majority of the contenders, wavered coming home with a 38 for a 73.

Zarate, back on a winless spell after ending an 11-year title drought last year at ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat, closed out with a 69 for a 213 while Balasabas showed up the pros to turn in the lowest score at the back – a 31 – that gave the ICTSI-Cangolf bet the day’s best round of 67 for a 213.

Elmer Saban matched par 72 for a 214 and wound up 10th in the tournament organized by the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Jaguar, Land Rover, Studio 23, Balls TV, Srixon/Cleveland Golf, Callaway Golf, Odyssey and Golf Punk and media partners Business Mirror, Inquirer Golf Monthly, A Round of Golf, Pinoygolfer.com and Omnisource.