Last-hole bogey drops Dabawenyo to 3-way tie

CASSIUS CASAS

Dabawenyo Cassius Casas missed seizing the solo lead with a missed green bogey on
No. 18, settling for a three-under 67 and dropping into a share of the lead with
favorite and fellow Dabawenyo Jay Bayron and unfancied Danny Zarate at the start of 
the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club in Sta. Barbara in Iloilo 
City Wednesday.

Coming off a missed-cut stint at ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic in Bacolod last
week, Casas recalled his old form and came through with a near-impeccable iron
game that set up birdie chances within six feet, four of which he made to seize
control of the 75-player field.

But he hooked his drive on the par-4 18th and failed to get up-and-down on the
sleek putting surface, finishing with a 34-33 card under ideal playing condition
at the tight par-70 layout carved from the rolling hills of Sta. Barbara.

“Pwede pa, kaya pang manalo uli (I think I can still win),” said Casas, who used
to dominate the local circuit but has since slowed down the last few years,
posting just one “lucky” win last year when three players were disqualified on a
final hole infraction at the ICTSI Del Monte Championship in Bukidnon.

But while Casas blew the chance for the solo lead, Bayron and Zarate got a piece
of it by birdying the short 335-yard No. 18, forging a three-way tie while four
others were bunched at 68, one stroke behind, in what promises to be another
tight, wild finish in this seventh leg of the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour.

Bayron, installed as the favorite in the 54-hole event in the absence of the
tour’s big guns who are competing in the Asian Tour’s Selangor Masters, hit four
birdies against a bogey at the par-70 layout, putting himself in early
contention for the top P200,000 purse in the 54-hole event organized by
Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and sponsored by International Container
Terminal Services, Inc.

But while the ace Davaoeño shotmaker’s surge was expected, Zarate’s splendid
backside stint came as a big surprise as the veteran campaigner failed to
contend again after ruling the kickoff leg of the revival of the local circuit
at Mt. Malarayat in 2009.

He actually turned in a so-so performance after nine holes with three birdies
against the same number of birdies but surged ahead with three birdies in a
bogey-free stint at the back, highlighted by a 25-footer on the par-5 No. 14.

“I just got lucky,” said Zarate, who also bucked a right-hand injury to turn in
one of the day’s best scores at the relatively short 36-34 layout with a couple
of reachable par-4s for the tour’s long-hitters.

“But the greens are tough, very undulating. You have to come up with good
approach shots to score here,” said the Sanyo Seiki-backed pro, who hopes to
duplicate his feat at Malarayat where he led from start to finish to rule the
inaugural staging of the circuit backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc.,
Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno,
Empire Golf & Sports Shop, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource
International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.


But Zarate admits it will be an uphill battle with a crowded leaderboard as
Rufino Bayron and Marvin Dumandan stood just a stroke behind with 68s in a tie
with unheralded Randy Garalde and veteran Dan Cruz,.

Former national team mainstay Jerson Balasabas shot a 69 for a four-way tie with
Dante Becierra, Danilo delos Santos and amateur Paul Telly Visinica, who flashed
his familiarity with the course he calls home while Ramil Bisera, Jhonnel Ababa,
Al Cruz and amateur Alexes Nallos matched par 70s.

Richard Sinfuego surprisingly struggled on a course he calls home, hitting just
one birdie while fumbling with three bogeys for a two-over 72, five strokes off
the joint leaders.

Bacolod leg winner Robert Pactolerin blew what had appeared to be an inspiring
start at the backside, dropping six strokes in a five-hole stretch from No. 13
after sinking a six-foot birdie putt on No. 12.

The 50-year-old veteran, who nipped Tony Lascuna in a four-hole playoff to
clinch the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic crown last week, never recovered from
that 39 as he closed out with a 38 for a 77 and found himself in danger of
missing the cut again.

Meanwhile, highlights of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic will be aired on A
Round of Golf on Aug. 4 starting at 8 p.m. on Solar Sports, while the ICTSI
Iloilo Challenge will be telecast on Aug. 11.
A Round of Golf is aired every Thursday on Solar Sports.(pr)

JAY BAYRON

DANNY ZARATE

Top guns begin quest in P4.9M TCC Invit’l

An elite 36-player field, featuring the cream of the country’s pro crop, sets out in the rich The Country Club Invitational beginning Thursday, Jan. 27, each one raring to put on low scores on a tough TCC course that requires accuracy and mental toughness.
The last two results of the annual P4.7 million event ended in lopsided fashions with Angelo Que beating Juvic Pagunsan by five strokes last year and Artemio Murakami romping off with a record 13-shot rout over Que in 2009.
But this week’s battle for the top P1.4 million purse is tipped to go down to the last putt or perhaps wind up the way it did in 2006 when Pagunsan, a Bacolod native, nipped Frankie Minoza of Bukindon in a playoff.
For one, Que and Pagunsan will be the men on a mission, each seeking to become the first player to score three wins in what has become the country’s golfing major in terms of prize money and participation.
Murakami and former winners Tony Lascuna and Cassius Casas of Davao and Jerome Delariarte are also raring to score a repeat while Minoza and the rest of the field are going flat out to nail the big one.
That should make the first two rounds doubly interesting with the big guns, save for one or two, avoiding an early clash of will and shotmaking skills by landing in separate flights.
Que, who also ruled the 2007 staging of the annual event sponsored by golf patron and ICTSI chief Ricky Razon, is paired with Danny Zarate and fellow former Philippine Open champion Gerald Rosales in the 8:40 a.m. flight on No. 1.
Pagunsan, who also won in 2008, tees off next at 8:50 a.m., hoping to get going against Gene Bondoc and Ruben Sasutil while Murakami opens his bid at the back in the company of Richard Sinfuego and Albin Engino at 8:35 a.m.
Minoza, whose presence in the event has become an inspiration to the young talents, drew Lascuna and Ebarra Quiachon in the 8:30 a.m. flight, just ahead of Que and Pagunsan’s groups.
Others in the hunt are Dabawenyos Jay Bayron, who won last year’s Order of Merit crown, Marvin Dumandan, the winningest player on the tour last year with three victories and Elmer Salvador,  Mars Pucay,Benjie Magada and Antonio Asistio II.
No less than a strong start is expected from this talent-laden cast, each out to build confidence and momentum heading into the weekend play of the 72-hole championship, which also serves as the kickoff leg of this year’s ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour.
Meanwhile, this year’s circuit was launched during yesterday’s traditional pro-am tournament which featured a select group of pros and a banner roster of players from the business sector and other fields, headed by Razon.
The second placer will receive P690,000 while the third, fourth and fifth finishers will get P430,000, P310,000 and P230,000, respectively.
Also fighting for top honors are the country’s leading amateurs, headed by Asian Games silver medalist Miguel Tabuena, who also clinched a spot in this year’s Asian Tour recently.
Others in the fold are former Hong Kong Am Open winner Dante Becierra, Fil-Am Carl Santos-Ocampo, Jerson Balasabas, Jobim Carlos and reigning Philippine Ladies Open winner Chihiro Ikeda of Davao and many-time Junior World champion Dottie Ardina.(pr)

Davao’s Casas snatches win as Salvador, Sinfuego, Pagunsan DQ’d

CASSIUS CASAS

Davao’s Cassius Casas ended a long title-drought on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour in the most unexpected, strange way, snatching the ICTSI Del Monte Championship crown in Bukidnon, Friday, when the three leading players – Elmer Salvador, Richard Sinfuego and Juvic Pagunsan – were disqualified due to a final-hole boo-boo.
Casas, just two behind Salvador at the start of the final round, worked his way in the second-to-last flight with Angelo Que and Robert Pactolerin with three straight birdies from No. 7 but slowed down at back and settled for a 69.
The dusky Davaoeno shotmaker, who was so confident of his chances heading into this P1 million event sponsored by ICTSI, was resigned for another failed try in his comeback bid from a long slump on the local circuit and was about to board his card on way back to Davao when he got a call from the organizing committee.
“I was told by my co-players that there was a dispute and when I got back to the clubhouse, the committee told me that I won the tournament,” said Casas, still perplexed by the sudden turn of events that came his way.
“As I said before this tournament, I was so confident I would win this one,” said Casas. “But I didn’t pray that they get disqualified. But golf has rules and we must play by the rules.”
The championship flight was disqualified for an infraction on Rule 22-6 that has something to do with assisting, according to tournament referee Henry Arabejo.
He said Salvador, who dropped behind Sinfuego with an awful frontside stint of 38 but wheeled back into a share of the lead with three straight birdies from No. 10, pitched first from around the par-5 18th, the ball rolling and stopping barely six inches to the hole for a tap-in birdie.
But instead of marking the ball, he opted not to mark allegedly upon the advise of Pagunsan and Sinfuego, letting the two others to make their respective pitch shots.
“I was actually about to mark it but Juvic and Richard told me not to, so I let them make their shots. But after we holed out, we were told that we were all disqualified,” said Salvador, whose potential birdie would’ve given him a one-shot victory over Sinfuego, who made it on the green in four, in Filipino.
“What puzzles me was he (Arabejo) was there on the green and he didn’t even call my attention to tell me that I had to mark the ball first,” Salvador said. “Sayang talaga ‘to.”
The tumultuous ending for the troika proved to be a happy one for Casas, who snatched the top P200,000 purse after finishing with a 206, three shots clear of Pactolerin, who had a 209 after a 71, and Angelo Que, who matched par 72. Pactolerin and Que split the combined P185,000 purse.
Tony Lascuna came in fourth with a 210 after 70 and won P50,000 followed by Albin Engino (70), Ferdie Aunzo (72) and Artemio Murakami (72), who tied for fifth with 212s, Romeo Jaraula (70) and Rufino Bayron (70), who both had 213s, and Mars Pucay (72) and Benjie Magada (74), who tied for 10th with 214s.
The event, organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., was backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Jaguar, Land Rover, Studio 23, Balls TV, Srixon/Cleveland Golf, Callaway Golf, Odyssey and Golf Punk and media partners Business Mirror, Inquirer Golf Monthly, A Round of Golf, Pinoygolfer.com and Omnisource.(pr)