Quek scores ace, bags ICTSI Orchard crown

DASMARIÑAS, Cavite, Philippines – Singapore’s Quincy Quek aced No. 16 to cap a brilliant round of seven-under par 65 and complete a stirring comeback from seven strokes down to capture the ICTSI Orchard Golf Championship crown by two over Tony Lascuña and two others here yesterday.

Quek, a former amateur standout and one-time Putra Cup winner, hit six birdies against a bogey in the first 15 holes, capped by a three-birdie string from No. 11, then scored a hole-in-one on the 16th to highlight a spectacular finish and score the improbable win in the $60,000 tournament.

He wound up with a 12-under 276 at Orchard’s Palmer Course, beating erstwhile solo leader Lascuña, Scott Barr of Australia and Taiwanese Lam Zhi Qun by two for the top $10,465 purse in the 72-hole championship capping a two-week swing of the Asian Development Tour in the country.

It was another sorry setback for Lascuña, who surged ahead in the third round with a fiery 67 and fended off Barr’s charge in the early going until Quek, also a former winner of the WWWExpress-DHL crown at Canlubang, caught fire two flights ahead.

Lascuña, who led Quek by six after 54 holes and padded it to seven with a birdie on the first hole, bogeyed No. 15, enabling Quek to draw level before the 25-year-old Singaporean came through with an ace to seize the lead for good.

The Filipino ace bet went for broke in the last two holes but failed to set up birdie chances and hobbled with a one-over 73 for a 278, settling for another runner-up finish after losing by six to Elmer Salvador in last week’s Aboitiz Invitational Presented by ICTSI in Cebu.

But this time, he had to share it with Barr, who holed out with a birdie for a 72, and Qun, whose third round 63 tied the course record set by Juvic Pagunsan last year. He eagled the par-5 18th for a four-under 68.

Lin Kuan-po rallied with a 66 to tie Peter Richardson, also of England, who made a 71, for fifth at 280 as the foreign aces dominated the local bets in a big rebound from their lackluster showing in Cebu.

England’s George Thacker actually moved within one off Quek on the 14th but made a double-bogey on the next and dropped out of contention. He finished with a 71 and ended up tied with Rufino Bayron at seventh with 281.

Bayron, just three behind at the start of the final round, bowed out of contention with bogeys on Nos. 13, 14 and 16. But he fought back with closing back-to-back birdies to salvage a 73.

Ryan Bulloch, also of Australia, shot a 71 and wound up ninth at 282 while Salvador closed out with a 70 for a 283 and ended up 10th in the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

The other backers of the event, also serving as the 11th leg of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, were Empire Golf, Titleist, Footjoy, Callaway, TaylorMade, Mizuno, Srixon, Nike Golf, Custom Clubmakers and Sharp with Balls, Studio 23,Pinoygolfer.com and Inquirer Golf.