Miñoza humbles ICTSI Del Monte field with closing 63

REIGNING Japan Senior Open champion Frankie Miñoza (third from left) shares the frame with tournament officials and the much-younger men he beat to snatch the championship. From left, ICTSI PR manager Narlene Soriano, low amateur Andres Saldaña, Tony Lascuña, Miguel Tabuena, Johvanie Abaño, Elmer Salvador, James Ryan Lam and Del Monte golf director Mike Comique. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO / GILBERT MERCADO

ON TARGET all day, veteran Frankie Miñoza produced another scoring gem on a course where he learned to play the game, firing a 9-under-par 63 to win the ICTSI Del Monte Championship from out of nowhere.

The 53-year-old reigning Japan Senior Open champion fought back from five shots down overnight to triumph by five shots over a dumbfounded field in his hometown of Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon.

Fully exploiting the preferred-lie rule for the tournament, Miñoza struck crisp approaches, nailing the longest of his nine birdies from just over three feet as he came within a stroke of the old course record.

Club executive Yoyong Velez and coach Roger Retuerto said Miñoza had scored a 62 in the final round of a leg of the defunct Philip Morris Tour in the early 1990s. Retuerto said that Miñoza’s 72-hole total in that tournament was 24-under.

Counting consecutive 70s, Miñoza—who once scored a 59 in a practice round on the heavily wooded course—tallied a 54-hole total 203 in notching his second win this year following his victory in the rich The Country Club Invitational in February.

“I thought the night before that I would need a 10-under to rebound from five strokes down and get a shot at the crown,” Miñoza said in Filipino. “And it came just like that. I hit the ball pretty solid and had birdie chances from just about one to three feet.”

Second-round leader Elmer Salvador saw his five-shot lead over Miñoza evaporate on the 10th and he went on to card a 73, settling for a tie for second with four others, including Miguel Tabuena and Antonio Lascuña.

Lascuña, who started the day just a stroke off Salvador, fired a 72, while Tabuena carded a 69. Club pro Joh-vanie Abaño shot a 69 and Ryan Lam had a 68 to also finish at 208.

It was another unforgettable performance for Miñoza, the biggest name in Philippine pro golf since the 1980s. The two-time Philippine Open champion gunned down five straight birdies that bridged the two nines before finishing birdie-birdie to complete his romp.

Miñoza’s performance also underscored his readiness for the British Senior Open later this month.

Victory was worth P200,000 for Miñoza, who earned his spurs as a mainstay of the Del Monte squad in the PAL Interclub in the 1970s.

Salvador and company picked up P62,000 each after splitting the combined purses for second to sixth places.

Salvador, also a former PH Open champion, still had a three-stroke lead over Miñoza despite dropping two straight shots from No. 4.

Miñoza started his explosive five-birdie run on No. 6 to forge ahead by two over Salvador.

The event’s other backers were Nike Golf, Empire Golf and Sports Shop, Mizuno, Titleist, Srixon, Foot Joy, Callaway, Pacsports, Custom Clubmakers, Cleveland Golf and Sharp.  Musong R. Castillo