CASSIUS Casas finishes No. 1 in a tournament after a long drought.
CANLUBANG, Laguna—Cassius Casas parred the second playoff hole yesterday to turn back Clyde Mondilla and rule the P1 million Canlubang Invitational at the tree-lined North course.
After blowing a three-stroke lead with six holes to play and finishing with a 209 total after a final round 73, Casas needed two extra holes to secure the win and get back into the company of the tour’s elite after snapping a three-year victory drought.
The former Philippine Open champion couldn’t help but mutter the phrase “winning it fair and square” after his last victory, which came at Del Monte in 2010, happened when the final flight was disqualified for a 72nd hole infraction.
“Winning this through a playoff makes this victory sweeter,” Casas said in Filipino.
Mondilla forged a playoff with a routine par on the 72nd hole, which Casas bogeyed, closing out with a level 72. But the former Del Monte ace in the PAL Interclub who is in search of a first pro win, couldn’t par the 18th from three feet in their third trip there.
Jessie Balasabas finished third alone, two strokes behind, after a 70, while Japan’s Toru Nakajima was another stroke back also after a 70.
The win was worth P200,000 for Casas, but more importantly, it boosted his confidence after his career hit a low because of poor form.
Last year, also in this tournament, Casas was stripped of a third place finish for having a non-conforming lob wedge in his bag, an infraction he said was cited in bad faith by some of the players on the tour.
“I’ve already put that thing behind me. What matters now is this victory. This means a lot to me,” said Casas.
Richard Abaring closed out with a 71 for 213, with Zannie Biy Gialon, who was looking to win this event for the second straight year, firing a 73 to be tied with Elmer Saban (69) and Charles Hong (75) at 214.
Mondilla, after missing six straight cuts, booked the highest finish of his young pro career which was worth P120,000. He left the course in a huff after the awards rites, though, utterly disappointed at missing that short putt which would have extended the playoff.