Lascuña banks on course familiarity in $1-M tourney

No Filipino has won the Resorts World Manila Masters in its first three editions, and with the $1 million event teeing off tomorrow at Manila Southwoods Masters in Carmona, Cavite, Antonio Lascuña couldn’t ask for a better time for his game to come together.

The 44-year-old from Davao, a Southwoods member, simulated the 72-hole tournament last week, playing with fellow members, and shot an eye-popping 26-under which would beat any score that the past three foreign winners came up with.

Natipong Srithong of Thailand is the defending champion, winning over South African fireball Jbe Kruger by a shot with a 15-under 273 total.

Mardan Mamat, also a former Philippine Open champion at Wack Wack East, has the best winning score, a 268, carved out in 2014, while inaugural leg winner Liang Wenchong of China tallied 272 in defeating Thailand’s Prom Meesawat in a dramatic playoff on the 18th hole.

Lascuña knows every bounce at the well-manicured layout but concedes that putting will be the key over the Jack Nicklaus-created gem that has been set up to make it difficult for the Asian Tour stars this week.

“The advantage that I have is that I know the greens,” Lascuña told the Inquirer after shooting a four-under-par 68 in the last of those four rounds on Nov. 1.  “If I can putt the way I putted [in my practice tournament], who knows?”