Lascuña sweeps OOM, Player of Year honors

MANILA, Philippines - Tony Lascuña capped a banner season by winning the Players’ Player of the Year honors, gaining the nod of fellow pros he dominated with a three-leg victory in the just-concluded 15-stage ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

His nine-stroke romp in the season ending P2.5 million ICTSI Wack Wack Invitational last week highlighted Lascuña’s successful campaign in the country’s premier golf circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. where he also turned in five runner-up finishes.

He wound up with P2.5 million in winnings, beating 2009 OOM winner Elmer Salvador by more than P500,000 in a dominating stint that included victories at ICTSI Eagle Ridge Invitational and Manila Southwoods.

Like the rest of the top guns, Lascuña missed four legs before the star-studded Wack Wack stage to campaign on the Asian Tour but came back strong to rule the tour’s richest leg which offered a top purse of P450,000.

“This is really my best year, I couldn’t ask for more,” said Lascuña, who turned 42 yesterday. “But I worked hard for it, took a swing change and trained hard to polish my game.”

The ace Davaoeño shotmaker, also the top Filipino player on the Asian Tour at No. 12,  was also unanimously voted by his fellow pros as the year’s top player, completing a rare sweep of both the OOM and the Players’ Player of the Year honors.

John Kier Abdon copped the Best Amateur award while Canlubang Golf and Country Club, represented by golf director Rolly Viray, was named Venue of the Year during the annual awards rites of the circuit graced by ICTSI PR manager Narlene Soriano also at Wack Wack.

Salvador, who won at ICTSI Sherwood for the second straight year and at Aboitiz Invitational, also a leg of the Asian Development Tour, pooled P1.685 million to finish second in the OOM race while Zanie Boy Gialon, who ruled the Negros Occidental and Canlubang legs, placed third with P905,103 in winnings.

Miguel Tabuena, who had a great start of two victories in the first six legs of the circuit before campaigning on the Asian Tour, ended up fourth with P759,199 followed by Jay Bayron, the ADT OOM champion, with P691,174, Elmer Saban (P661,156), Clyde Mondilla (P647,647), John Hay leg winner Marvin Dumandan (P598,607), Angelo Que (P590,310) and Pueblo de Oro stage winner Charles Hong (P586,691).