Lascuna outduels Que, captures Aboitiz Invt’l

SILANG, Cavite—Tony Lascuña outdueled Angelo Que after losing his overnight two-stroke lead and nailed his first Asian Development Tour win in ruling the Aboitiz Invitational yesterday at Riviera’s Couples course here.

In clinching his fourth victory this year, Lascuña closed with a 6-under-par 66 for a 268 total, three shots ahead of Que, who fired a 67 but remained winless this season with a 271 aggregate.

“It was a tough win. It could’ve gone either way,” said Lascuna in Filipino. He picked up the top prize of $17,500 (about P752,500) although the 20-under total set up by earlier rounds of 66-69-67 won’t go into the record books since preferred lies were used in the tournament sponsored by Aboitiz Equity Ventures, Inc. for the fourth straight year.

“No problem with the record. I’ll take the win any time. I worked hard for it,” added Lascuña, who has three earlier wins in the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour and is the best Filipino at No. 8 in the current Asian Tour Order of Merit.

Que caught up with Lascuña on a birdie-bogey situation on the fifth and even forged ahead with a birdie on the next hole. But Lascuña responded with an eagle from the fringe on the seventh to regain the lead then added a birdie on the eighth.

Lascuña opened the backside with back-to-back birdies but a bogey on No. 15 and a Que eagle on the 16 reduced the margin to one. After a bogey on the 17th derailed Que’s comeback, Lascuña settled the issue with flourish by sinking a 30-foot birdie on the 18th.

Thai Pijit Petchkasem, who joined Lascuna and Que in the championship flight with a 68 Friday, fumbled with a 38 and finished with a 73, enabling compatriot Rattan Wannasrichan to snatch third place at 275 after a 70 worth $7,000.