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Heartbreak for van der Valk as Gwon snatches dramatic TCC Invitational victory

Jan Veran - Philstar.com
Heartbreak for van der Valk as Gwon snatches dramatic TCC Invitational victory
Minwook Gwon is doused with water in celebration of his championship win.
Pilipinas Golf

STA. ROSA, Laguna – On the verge of a record-tying feat, Guido van der Valk seemed destined to etch his name deeper into The Country Club Invitational’s storied history.

Instead, Minwook Gwon emerged as the unlikely champion on Friday here, seizing victory in a tournament finale that underscored the unpredictable nature of both golf’s finest battles and TCC’s unforgiving test of skill and composure.

Already assured of a career-best runner-up finish, Gwon closed with a 69 in a flight ahead of the championship group, blemished by a bogey on No. 18. At that moment, it appeared he had merely secured a respectable second-place finish in the P6-million championship.

But as van der Valk stood on the final tee with a two-stroke lead and history within reach, the unforgiving nature of The Country Club’s exacting layout took hold.

A wayward approach sent the Manila-based Dutchman into trouble, his ball coming to rest in an unplayable lie beyond the green. Forced to take a penalty drop, he could only manage a double bogey for a 74, stunningly surrendering his lead and setting up an unexpected sudden death, as both players finished with three-over 291 totals.

Returning to TCC’s treacherous closing hole, van der Valk’s unraveling continued. With the title on the line, he misfired his approach into the water, handing Gwon a golden opportunity to close out the championship.

The South Korean remained steady, coming through with a routine par to clinch the crown worth P2 million in dramatic fashion, leaving van der Valk to reflect on a cruel twist of fate that turned a glorious charge into a heartbreaking collapse.

"I was very nervous in the playoff because I know Guido is a very good player," said Gwon, reflecting on his remarkable triumph barely a year after earning his spot on the Philippine Golf Tour through Q-School. His previous best finish — a fifth place at Caliraya Springs last year — paled in comparison to this breakthrough victory.

Understanding the stakes, Gwon kept his strategy simple. "I thought the one who makes par will win, so I just tried to hit the fairway, land on the green, and make two putts. Everything just went well, so I’m very happy now," he said.

The win carried even greater personal significance for the young Korean, marking his first professional victory — and on the grandest stage of the PGT.

"This victory means a lot. It’s really special because I turned pro here and won the biggest tournament in the PGT," he said.

Adding to the moment, his parents had watched him play all four days.

"Having them here makes this win even more meaningful," he added.

Yet, for much of the final round, Gwon had all but conceded the title to van der Valk, who stood on the 18th tee with a comfortable lead.

"I was already satisfied with a second or third-place finish," he recalled. "I thought I had no chance to win."

But as he waited, his friends alerted him that van der Valk had run into trouble on No. 18. "They told me, ‘Let’s just wait,’" said Gwon.

And then, the unthinkable happened — van der Valk stumbled with a double bogey, throwing the tournament wide open. Instead of celebrating a record-tying victory, the Dutchman watched as fate handed Gwon the opportunity of a lifetime — one that he seized with unwavering composure.

Poised to join Angelo Que and Juvic Pagunsan as a three-time TCC Invitational champion after his 2020 and 2023 victories, van der Valk saw his title hopes slip away in heartbreaking fashion, ultimately ending up with the P1-million runner-up prize.

With his dramatic playoff triumph, Gwon etched his name in tournament history, becoming only the third foreign player to win the prestigious event, following Korean-American Micah Shin in 2018 and van der Valk himself.

The final round at the TCC once again reinforced the course’s reputation as a relentless test of precision, resilience and mental fortitude. Its deceptive winds, daunting water hazards, and punishing rough have long been known to turn hopeful triumphs into crushing defeats, and van der Valk became the latest to experience its ruthless nature.

For Gwon, it was a victory seemingly destined for him in the end — a testament to golf’s unpredictability and the unwavering persistence needed to not just chase history, but seize it.

Starting the final round five strokes behind in sixth place, Gwon clawed his way back into contention, birdying two of the first four holes in the second-to-last flight. A bogey on No. 5 momentarily stalled his momentum, but he quickly rebounded with back-to-back birdies to close out the front nine, firmly placing himself in the hunt.

As the final stretch unfolded, the battle for the championship intensified. A pair of birdies propelled Gwon to the top after the 14th, taking advantage as van der Valk faltered with a bogey on the par-4 13th.

However, the Dutchman responded with a crucial two-shot swing on No. 15 — a birdie for him, a bogey for Gwon — to regain the lead. He extended his cushion to two strokes with another birdie on the 16th, and despite a miscue on the 17th, he still held firm as Gwon bogeyed the 18th.

Reymon Jaraula staged a late comeback with birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 but missed opportunities in the next three holes before holing out with a bogey on the 18th. He wound up with a 72 and claimed third place at 293 worth P540,000.

Go carded a frontside 37 but succumbed to TCC’s demanding challenge at the back, which he navigated in three-over on his way to a 76. He tumbled from second to fourth at 295, while Clyde Mondilla also wavered with a birdie-less 76 marred by a double-bogey on the 17th, ending up tied at fifth at 296 with Kakeru Ozeki, who matched par 72.

Aidric Chan, who contended in the early going of the Philippine Golf Tour’s flagship tournament, closed with a second 76 to wind up at seventh at 297 while San Ramos fought back with a 71 to snare eighth place at 299 followed by Jay Bayron (80-306) and Keanu Jahns (79-307), respectively.

GOLF

THE COUNTRY CLUB INVITATIONAL

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