Tony Lascuña bucked a day-long threat from Keanu Jahns then matched the Fil-German’s fiery finish to card a 69 and clinch the ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational crown by three Saturday in Davao City.
Seven strokes behind Lascuña after 54 holes, Jahns mounted a fiery charge at the front of the Apo layout with five birdies in a flight ahead and moved within two with a spectacular chip-in birdie from 15 yards on No. 16, which the ace Davaoeño shotmaker eventually matched to all but secure the championship in the P3 million event sponsored by ICTSI.
Lascuña tallied a 13-under 275 total worth P550,000, the check of which he received from Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. executive director Narlene Soriano along with the glass trophy.
The victory came on the heels of his nerve-wracking triumph in Taiwan where he had to scramble at the finish to hold off a pair of Thais and a young Taiwanese star.
Jahns, whose 65 matched Lascuña’s opening charge, pocketed P370,000.
“I was actually in doubt whether I could win again on the PGT with the young guns starting to dominate. But I knew that I still have the desire and fire to go for this kind of victories,” said Lascuña, who last won a local tournament at Forest Hills in 2017 and will only have a couple of days rest before preparing for the inaugural ICTSI South Pacific Classic at South Pacific Golf and Leisure Estates, also in Davao this Wednesday (Oct. 9).
“I tried to chase him but my effort fell short. He’s so good,” said Jahns, whose 65 matched Lascuña’s opening charge and whose 278 total netted him P370,000.
Nilo Salahog closed out with a 71 to finish third at 282 while reigning Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla and Cebu leg winner Dutch Guido Van der Valk also turned in a pair of one-under par cards for joint fourth at 284.
As Lascuña looked forward to a trouble-free round, the 24-year-old Jahns sizzled early with four birdies in the first five holes, including three straight from No. 3 and capped his frontside charge with another birdie on the ninth for that 31.
In a flight behind, Lascuña just went through the motions after opening with a birdie from close range, settling for pars in the next 14 holes but buckled down to work again when Jahns, who lost The Country Club Invitational crown by just one to young Korean Tom Kim last April, rebounded from a bogey miscue on No. 11 with birdies on Nos. 13 and 16 to threaten within two.
Lascuña took the challenge to heart and hacked a solid wedge shot from 115 yards for a tap-in birdie on the par-4 16th then matched Jahns’ closing birdie for good measure.
Del Monte’s Reymon Jaraula, who nipped Lascuña in a playoff to score a breakthrough at Pueblo de Oro last month, shot a 70 for solo sixth at 285 while Ira Alido hobbled with a 73 to drop to seventh at 286 followed by Paul Echavez (73-287), and Art Arbole (72-288), Ramil Bisera (71-288) and Elee Bisera (74-288), who clinched the low amateur honors in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology.
