BINANGONAN, Rizal – Tony Lascuña dropped a 14-foot birdie putt on the final hole to cap a closing 70 that won him the ICTSI Manila Masters at the Eagleridge Golf Club yesterday.
Lascuna, who started the day three shots down, avoided a playoff with Jay Bayron who birdied the 18th for a 71.
“I really wanted this one very badly since I’ve never won here at Eastridge for years,” said Lascuña who finished the 72-hole event at three-under 285. He pocketed P550,000 for the win.
Bayron, trailing Lascuña by a shot going into the final hole, hit his approach near the hole for an easy tap-in, but Lascuña, 14 feet away, calmly rolled in the winning putt.
“He’s really good at putting,” said Bayron, who settled for P370,000.
Bayron recovered from a disastrous triple bogey on the ninth hole with three birdies in the last four holes.
Overnight leader Van der Valk crumbled under pressure and finished with a 78 for sixth place at 290.
“I played horrible. My putting was really bad and I’m very disgusted it happened in the final round,” said the Dutchman who had nothing but praise for Lascuña.
Hirotaro Naito of Japan shot a 68 to tie Jhonnel Ababa (72) at third at 288 worth R190,000 each while Josh Salah of the United States fired a 71 to place fifth at 289.
Mhark Fernando carded a 72 and shared seventh with Rene Menor and American John Michael O’Toole, who both shot 73s, and Paul Harris of the US (75) at 291.