Cassius Casas. Photo from https://golfindavaophilippines.blogspot.com
Cassius Casas, a former Philippine Open champion, returned fuming to his native Davao in a huff Friday night after what he said was a disrespectful treatment he got during the awarding ceremony of the ICTSI Canlubang Invitational.
Casas fired a final round even par 72 on Friday and finished in a third place tie with Jonel Ababa and Jay Bayron. He was called to the stage and given his prize money only to be informed later by officials that he was being disqualified for using a non-conforming wedge.
“It was my fault that I failed to update my equipment, and the disqualification is OK,” Casas told the Inquirer over the phone in Filipino. “But what hurts most is why did they even call me to accept my prize as joint third placer when they knew that there was a problem to begin with?”
The 2002 PH Open champ at Wack Wack said that he felt insulted by the incident, which came more than 30 minutes after the scores were tallied and Zannie Boy Gialon was declared the champion.
Colo Ventosa, head of the organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournament Inc., said all players were informed that the tournament is not over until the final scores are posted on the PGT board.
Casas used a Cleveland Tour Action 60-degree wedge in the tournament, the same one he used in his last international win that came in Thailand three years ago.
“They even posted (the awarding photo with me as 3rd placer) in the PGT website,” he said. “And then they will just disqualify me. Would you not be embarrassed if it happened to you?”
Casas said that tournament referee Henry Arabejo pulled him to a corner after the awarding and informed him of his infraction, which, Arabejo added, had been tipped off to the rules officials.
“It’s been personal for some of the players of the tour and me,” Casas said. “I have nothing against Henry (Arabejo), he was just doing his job. What I don’t like is they made me look like a fool going up the stage to accept my prize.”