Sixth extra-hole birdie gives Quek win

CANLUBANG, Philippines – It took Quincy Quek six extra holes but the Singaporean ace still did it, humbling reigning national champion Ferdie Aunzo with a birdie on the 78th hole to capture the WWWExpress-DHL National Amateur Championships crown at Cangolf’s north course here yesterday.

What he failed to do in regulation, Quek accomplished six holes later, sinking a birdie that capped Singapore’s domination of the annual event and buried Aunzo’s title aspirations in his last tournament as an amateur.

The former Singapore Am champion came through with a superb pitch shot from around 143 yards off the rough on their fourth stint on the sloping 18th, the ball sailing through the wind and landing over the pin before rolling down to about four feet.

Quek, who steered Singapore to victory in team play last Thursday, knocked in the title-clinching putt then raised his arms in triumph to celebrate the arduous win that nearly slipped out of his grasp.

“It was an exhausting win,” said the 21-year-old Quek, moments after thwarting Aunzo in the longest title chase that took almost seven hours to finish.

“My patience allowed me to win and I’m very, very happy because this is a good victory,” said Quek, who missed wrapping up the crown outright when he missed a five-footer for birdie on the 72nd hole.

That flubbed putt enabled Aunzo to force the sudden death for the crown after the top ICTSI-backed bet, two down with three holes remaining in regulation, birdied Nos. 16 and 17 then two putted on their first trip on the 18th in the day.

Quek, who also won the individual title in the 2007 Putra Cup at The Country Club, and Aunzo, one shot behind Jerome Ng, also of Singapore, in the third round, closed out with identical 70s to finish with 287s in the 14th staging of the event sponsored by WWWExpress and DHL.

They both birdied the first playoff hole (No. 10) then parred the 18th, matched par again on their third trip to the 10th and drew level again on the 18th with Aunzo missing a birdie putt from six-feet and Quek recovering with a par with a solid chip shot after barely missing the green. Quek then missed a seven-foot birdie putt on their return to No. 10.

“It’s okay. I wasn’t tired and I had actually a good look at the pin from about 135 but I hit it short and he made a solid approach,” said Aunzo, foiled in his bid for a victory in his last tournament in the amateurs.

As a national champion, he is automatically eligible to join the pros in the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour late this month without going through the qualifier. He will still see action for The Country Club in the PAL Interclub two weeks from now.

Ng, hobbled by an early bout with a bulky putter, sputtered with a 78 and tumbled down to joint eighth with Lee Dong Hun of Riviera (73) at 294.

Mark Fernando, the first round leader, wound up with a 71 and finished tied for third at 291 with Del Monte’s Won Doo Kyun (70), Anthony Fernando (70) and Peter Villaber (69) while Jessie Balasabas rallied with a 71 for solo seventh with a 292.

Chihiro Ikeda picked up her second straight victory in the ladies side with a closing 71 and a 220 for a whopping 11-shot win over ICTSI teammate Anya Tanpinco, who had a 231 after a 78.

Jung Hwa Lee finished third with a 232 after a 76 while RP Ladies Open winner Louise Manalo had a 76 for fourth at 234.

Ikeda, Tanpinco, Manalo and Sarah Ababa, who placed fifth with a 237 after a 75, headed straight to the airport from Cangolf to compete in the Victoria Women’s stroke play and Women’s Riversdale Cup in Australia starting Monday.