Tabuena takes Anvaya crown as Lascuña fades

MORONG, Bataan , Philippines– Miguel Tabuena finished what he had started and got the job done the way he had wanted.

Regaining his bearing, rhythm and touch after an erratic outing in the third round, Tabuena closed out with a two-under par 70 and watched Tony Lascuña sputter at the finish en route to ruling the ICTSI Anvaya Cove Invitational by three over Clyde Mondilla here yesterday.

“This means a lot to my confidence this year,” said Tabuena, 21, who had to bounce back from a horrendous 77 Friday and overhaul Lascuña’s four-stroke lead to rule the kick-off event of the 2016 ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour.

Lascuña turned from awesome to awful as he stumbled with a six-over 78 after a flawless 65 that put him four-up over Tabuena. But the veteran campaigner failed to match Tabuena’s hot charge at the back and blew it all with a double-bogey on the treacherous 17th.

He wound up with a 283, enabling Mondilla to snatch runner-up honors at 282 after firing the day’s best four-under 68 two flights ahead of the championship group.

Hoisting the crown capped a series of highs and lows for Tabuena, the 2015 Order of Merit winner. He tamed the wind-swept Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club with a record 62 to open his campaign in the P3.5 million event, carded a 70 the next day before hobbling with a 77 in the penultimate round, blowing an eight-shot lead over Lascuña and falling behind by four.

“Tapos na iyon (The third round was history), yesterday was yesterday. My focus was on today and I’m playing to win,” said Tabuena, who is P650,000 richer with this latest triumph in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by Adidas, TaylorMade, Pacsports Phils., Custom Clubmakers, KZG, Sharp and Anvaya Cove Golf and Sports Club.

After taking the crown in brief rites, Tabuena rushed back to Manila where he is set to share center stage with fighters Nonito Donaire and Donnie Nietes in the PSA (Philippine Sportswriters Association) Awards Night as co-Athletes of the Year for his breakthrough season in 2015, capped by his Philippine Open romp last December.

After a one-over 37 at the front, Tabuena used solid driving and superb iron play to set up three birdies at the back even as Lascuña fell into a spate of bogeys.

“What worked today was my driver. When my driver is working, I have a good chance to win and today I just said to myself to fully commit to my driver no matter what the outcome will be,” he said.

Lascuña still hung on to a two-stroke edge despite a 39 start but bogeyed No. 12 to yield the lead and bowed out with a double bogey on the 17th, which also ruined Tabuena’s third day stint with a seven. He tumbled to third and settled for P240,000.

“My game plan in the first nine holes was to get to within two strokes off Tony because I knew I can birdie the 10 and 11,” he said. “But I would say this is one of my most difficult victories, next to the Philippine Open, of course.”

Lascuña’s misfortune mirrored that of 2015 competition here where he also faded in the end, enabling Angelo Que to steal the crown on a fiery closing 64.

“Hindi makatama ng green,” said the 45-year-old Lascuña, whose woeful finish was capped by a double-bogey on 17. “Wala rin sa kundisyon dahil may lagnat the entire week.”

While Tabuena and Lascuña were duking it out in the championship flight, Mondilla made his move in the earlier group.

The two-time PGT winner birdied six of the first nine holes to begin his climb.

“Talagang hinabol ko, hindi lang inabot,” said Mondilla, who couldn’t sustain his charge as he made a double-bogey and a bogey against a lone birdie coming home. He pocketed P430,000.