Lascuña snatches crown with solid finish

Tony Lascuña

Tony Lascuña carded a round-best two-under-par 70 Saturday to snare the ICTSI Wack Wack crown by two shots over American Nicolas Paez.

Third round co-leaders Zanieboy Gialon, Thai Pasavee Lertvilai and Justin Quiban tumbled in succession, enabling Lascuña to snatch the $17,500 champion’s purse.

Trailing by one at tee-off, Lascuña surged ahead with back-to-back birdies from No. 2 then held sway the rest of the way to tally his third victory this year, including the Manila Masters at Eastridge last April and the Forest Hills Championship last June.

Counting his earlier rounds of 71-72-73, Lascuña pooled a 2-under 286, the only player to tame the fabled East course for the fourth leg of Philippine Golf Tour Asia.

A clutch birdie putt on No. 14 gave Lascuña enough buffer to thwart the challenge of Paez, who also fired a 70 following three straight birdies from No. 15.

Paez wound up with an even 288, falling short of ending the Filipinos’ domination of the inaugural PGT Asia after Miguel Tabuena topped the Southwoods leg, Rene Menor (Splendido) and Clyde Mondilla (Riviera).

“It’s nice to win again. But I had to work hard to put myself back into contention,” said Lascuña, who trailed Gialon by five halfway through the $100,000 event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

“When I pulled to within one after the third round, I knew I had a chance,” said Lascuña.

Gialon, who went 3-up over Quiban after 36 holes, stumbled with three straight bogeys from No. 5 and eventually shot a 75, the same output by Lertvilai, who has four bogeys and a double bogey against three birdies.

Unheralded Rolando Marabe Jr. birdied three of the last six holes to save a 72 and tie Gialon and Lertvilai at 290.

Quiban never recovered from a bogey-bogey start and stumbled with four bogeys at the back for a 77. He landed joint sixth at 292 with Michael Bibat and Jobim Carlos, who carded 72s.

Jhonnel Ababa fired a 71 to finish ninth at 293 while Jelbert Gamolo turned in a 74 to share 10th place with Aussie Marcus Both (76) and James Lam (77) at 295.