Go downs two birds with Pradera win
LJ Go —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
LJ Go won a second straight tournament in the PGT on Friday after shooting a one-under-par 71 to hold off Antonio Lascuña by a shot for the ICTSI Pradera Verde Championship that more or less had him accomplishing what he set out to do starting last week when he routed the same field in Baguio.
Cracking par for the last three rounds had the 31-year-old tallying 281 over the wide-open but long Arayat layout in Lubao, Pampanga, bankrolling another P359,000 that went with his fatter Pinewoods paycheck last week which assured him of a top 30 finish for his card next season.
Another thing that goes with that is a guaranteed spot in the rich The Country Club Invitational, the P6 million event that starts every PGT season in February where only the top 30 players get invites. He missed that opportunity this year.
“That’s what I really set out to do and I am glad I was able to achieve both,” Go told the Inquirer. “But winning both events certainly wasn’t expected. So it’s a huge bonus.”
Lascuña made a bold final day charge with a 70 and wound up a shot behind, with Keanu Jahns slumping with two bogeys in the back nine for a 71 that left him three shots off Go, who again leaves the country in September to campaign fully on the Asian Tour.
It was the second runner-up finish for Lascuña this year after also falling short at Caliraya Springs behind Angelo Que.
“I just wanted to play well. It’s hard to win two times and in consecutive tournaments, so it’s really a big accomplishment,” Go said.
Clyde Mondilla, who started the day just a shot off Go, struggled to a 74 like Que as the checked in fourth and fifth, respectively, with the ace from Bukidnon four shots off and Que six behind. The Arayat layout showed its teeth on the final day by yielding just four sub-par cards. After 72 holes, only nine players were left breaking par with Guido Van Der Valk and Russell Bautista tying for eight with 287 tallies after a 73 and 74, respectively.
