Angelo Que back on top, romps to 5-shot win at Southwoods

CARMONA, Cavite, Philippines — He came to win, but didn’t expect to dominate.

But with a form honed up by his stints in Japan, his base the last few years, the long-hitting Filipino ace ripped the stellar field with a brilliant closing 65, turning what was expected to be a wild finish into a runaway five-stroke triumph over Aussie Tim Stewart in the ICTSI Manila Southwoods Championship here yesterday.

Two up over American Christopher Hickman and Justin Quiban after 54 holes, Que sparked hopes for a wild finish with a bogey on the first hole with Hickman even catching up the Filipino ace at 15-under overall with a birdie on the second and the other pursuers also gaining ground in the $100,000 championship that kicked off with 12 players staying three strokes of each other in the first round, eight bidders within three shots in the second day and four still within three in the penultimate round.

But the long-hitting amiable shotmaker cut short all their expectations with a rash of birdies that poured like rain, dropping five to close out the frontside with a 31. Back to three up with nine holes left, Que birdied the first two holes at the back, including a 25-footer on No. 10, to all but wrap up the chase for honors in this third leg of the third season of Philippine Golf Tour Asia put up by ICTSI.

“After I led by four after 10 holes, I knew I was in control already,” said Que, whose third six-under card on a course he calls home netted him a 72-hole total of 22-under 262. “In order for the others to catch up, they had to make birdies in succession.”

Nobody did and the former Philippine Open champion settled for a run of pars in the last seven holes and still won by a big margin.

“Hickman played well too but he could not putt and missed a lot of birdie chances,” added Que, who received the replica of the check worth $17,500 from Southwoods golf director Jerome Delariarte and Joop Kalambakal of ICTSI Public Relations.