Joenard Rates used deadly putting to prevail over grizzled veteran Antonio Lascuña in a final round shootout Saturday and secure the breakthrough win of his five-year pro career.
After blowing a two-shot overnight lead on the second hole, Rates regained control with flawless work on the greens capped by three closing birdies that lifted him to a three-stroke win over Lascuña in the ICTSI Camp John Hay championship in Baguio.
“It feels so good,” said Rates, who finished with a six-under-par 62 and wound up with a 22-under 250 total, in Filipino. The son of a diminutive pro noted for using a driver on the fairway opened up with a 65 then went low with a 60-63 that set him up for the win since posting his best finish of third place in this same tournament two years ago.
Lascuña, last year’s Tour overall champ who is easily among the top three parbusters of the land, closed with a 63 and was second at 253 while Jay Bayron, the defending champion and winner last week at Splendido, was third another shot behind with a 67.
Lascuña tied Rates after a two-shot swing on No. 2 but the winner matched Lascuña’s pars and birdies with pressure-packed putts, the first on No. 8 from 30 feet to salvage par, a six-foot birdie on the ninth to remain tied at the turn and a five-foot birdie on the 10th to regain the lead.
He rolled in a delicate downhiller from seven feet on No. 12 to remain on top, went two-up with another birdie on the 13th then took a three-shot cushion when Lascuña dropped a stroke on No. 14. Refusing to give up, Lascuña fought back with a birdie on No. 15 but Rates nailed another tough uphill par save from 10 feet then matched Lascuña’s birdies in the next two before birdying the 72nd hole from two feet off a superb 9-iron shot from 160 yards.
“It’s a great feeling winning for the first time and I hope to do for it again in the next two legs at Eagle Ridge and Sherwood,” said the 5-3 Rates, who pocketed P360,000.