Lascuña ends ICTSI Tour title drought

TRECE MARTIREZ, Cavite—Antonio Lascuña finally hit pay dirt on the ICTSI Tour yesterday, overhauling a five-shot overnight deficit to prevail by six over erstwhile leader Jay Bayron and Jun Bernis in the Eagle Ridge Invitational here.

The 42-year-old was near-perfect in the final round, shooting a bogey-free six-under-par 66 to post a seven-under 209 total over 54 holes at the tough Faldo course.

Bayron, who led by five after two rounds with a pair of  69s, failed to recover from a front-nine 40 and wound up with a 77 that left him in a tie for second with Bernis at 215.

Bernis fired a 69 which Mars Pucay matched to salvage fourth place at 216.

“Despite being five down in the second round, I still expected to win, not just this tournament but all the others I play in,” said Lascuña, who is winless in four years on the Tour.

The Asian Tour regular who won the Selangor Masters in 2007 hit four of his birdies in the front nine to wrest the lead by one.

He then zoomed ahead by four and practically put the tournament to bed after Bayron bogeyed the 12th and 13th holes.

Jonel Ababa and Mark Fernando, former teammates at Canlubang and the Philippine team as amateurs, fired a 72 and 74, respectively, for 217s with Elmer Saban finishing another stroke back after a 69.

It was the 20th victory for Lascuña, a former caddy at Apo Golf in Davao.

Former PH Open champion Elmer Salvador and rookie Clyde Mondilla shot a 72 and 73, respectively, to finish at 219 like Joenard Rates (74) and Miguel Tabuena (75).