Lascuña chases dream crown

For all his golfing successes, Tony Lascuña has an indispensable trophy missing from his collection.

The five-time Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion has yet to win the Philippine Open.

And at 46, Lascuña knows he has to make his move in this year’s Solaire Philippine Open.

“I like my chances,” said Lascuña, who posted three victories in last year’s Philippine Golf Tour, but yielded the OOM crown to Clyde Mondilla.

Rather than sulk, Lascuña, who graced Tuesday’s launch of the blue-ribbon event at Waterside Restaurant of Solaire, would rather focus on the Open’s centennial staging, with a record purse of $600,000, on Feb. 28 to March 3 at The Country Club in Santa Rosa, Laguna.

Englishman Steve Lewton, who bested American Johannes Veerman in the 2017 Solaire Philippine Open title playoff, will be back to defend the crown.

Local aces and past winners Miguel Tabuena (2015), Angelo Que (2008), Frankie Miñoza (1998, 2007), Elmer Salvador (2009), Gerald Rosales (2000) and Robert Pactolerin (1990) will also vie for the $17,500 top purse.

Other bigwigs in the press conference were Thomas Arassi, president and CEO of Solaire Manila; Caloy Coscolluela, president of the National Golf Association of the Philippines; NGAP treasurer Al Panlilio, also the president of the MVP Sports Foundation; and Colo Ventosa of Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. .