Que posts record 12-shot Malarayat win

LIPA City, Philippines – Angelo Que kept his stroke of luck at Mt. Malarayat going, winning the ICTSI Classic in record fashion – a whopping 12-shot victory over James Ryan Lam on a closing two eagle-spiked 68 here yesterday.

The four-stroke lead he had built after three rounds of dazzling play at the Mts. Lobo and Makulot nines proved too big for erstwhile pursuer Clyde Mondilla to overcome and with the rest failing to mount any real challenge. Que played pressure-free and put on a virtual clinic throughout for another runaway triumph on the Philippine Golf Tour with a 21-under 267 total.

“I really don’t know why I play so good here at Mt, Malarayat,” said Que, who had actually hinted at reliving his glory days here – where he won back-to-back from 2008 on the ASEAN PGA Tour – before the start of the P2 million event.

His eagle-birdie-birdie run from No. 5, coupled with Mondilla’s shaky opening 39 in scorching heat, put Que way ahead at 11-up and when it seemed he had started to crack up with a bogey-par-bogey-bogey start at the back, the former Philippine Open champion hacked a monster drive on the 331-yard par-4 16th and drilled in an eagle from eight feet.

He then holed out with a 12-foot birdie on the par-5 18th from 12 feet to cap his four-day display of brilliant shotmaking, iron play and putting.

“While I practically played good in all four days, the rest had some bad rounds, particularly in the final day,” added Que, who pocketed another P360,000 after banking P650,000 in his nine-shot triumph over Japanese Toru Nakajima in the Anvaya Cove Invitational in Bataan last February.

The 12-stroke winning margin also bested the 11-shot win posted by Tony Lascuña in beating Zanieboy Gialon for the Forest Hills Championship last year.

Mondilla, who had put on a gutsy final round stand in ruling the Southwoods Championship and the Philippine Masters of the circuit last May, broke down this time, limping with a 76, his four-over card marred by two double bogeys at the back.

That enabled Lam, who birdied the final hole for a 71, to claim a career-best runner-up finish at 279 worth P250,000 while Jerson Balasabas also holed out with a birdie to match par 72 and snare third place at 280 for P140,000.

Joenard Rates carded a 70 and took solo fourth at 281 while Jay Bayron fired a 69 and Lascuña shot a 70 to finish tied for fifth with Mondilla at 282.

Jun Bernis pressed his bid for a top three finish with four birdies in the first eight holes but the former national amateur champion bogeyed five of the last 10 and wound up with a 73 for joint eighth with Albin Engino, who had a 69, and Rico Depilo, who turned in a 70, at 283.