Angelo Que ended a five-year wait for a championship by securing the ICTSI Villamor Philippine Masters title in a stunning display of shotmaking, defeating Hyun Ho Rho by four strokes with a closing 67 at the Villamor Golf Club in Pasay City yesterday (Saturday).
Starting the final round one stroke behind, Que quickly overtook Rho with a spectacular pitch-in eagle from 50 yards on the par-4 opening hole.
They exchanged leads multiple times under humid, overcast conditions, while keeping their competitors scrambling for a distant third place.
Que’s resilience was evident as he regained the lead after slipping off it at the turn. But three birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 12 against Rho’s run of pars propelled the seasoned campaigner to a two-stroke lead, ultimately sealing his triumph with a critical birdie on the 16th, a shot Rho failed to match.
What was anticipated to be a thrilling conclusion to the P2 million championship sponsored by ICTSI turned into an anti-climactic ending as Que cruised to a commanding victory. He finished with routine pars on the last two holes for a 34-33 and a 72-hole total of 10-under 278, earning P345,000.
“It feels great to win after five years. I’ve been struggling with my game over the past three to four years, so to win again, especially with so many young competitors around, feels really good at this age. At least, it shows that all my hard work has paid off,” said Que, 45, who last won in the Philippine Golf Tour Asia at Manila Southwoods in 2019.
Rho finished with a 72, placing second with a 282 total wroth P224,000.
Entering this fourth leg of the Philippine Golf Tour with renewed confidence, Que was buoyed by recent strong performances, including a runner-up finish to Clyde Mondilla at Caliraya Springs, a solo 12th place finish at the All Thailand Partnership Trophy, and a tied for ninth effort in the Phuket Open over the past four weeks.
Que expressed his pride and satisfaction after his latest victory, saying: “This win is good for me. Only a few players have won the Philippine Open and the Philippine Masters, so at least, I’m part of history again.”
Que, who previously claimed the country’s premier championship at Wack Wack in 2098, sees this win as a significant boost to his confidence for future competitions.
Amateur Jeffren Lumbo, playing two flights ahead, made a valiant attempt to disrupt the Que-Rho showdown with his own brilliant play. However, despite his intimate knowledge of the tight, tricky layout, Lumbo succumbed to the pressure, faltering with a bogey on No. 12 and falling out of contention.
His streak of six pars to cap off his round of 68 netted the club bet an impressive joint third-place finish in his first major tournament where he also emerged as the low amateur. He tied with Tony Lascuña and Lloyd Go, who carded 67 and 71, respectively, at 283.
Aidic Chan shot a 71 for solo sixth at 285 while Ryan Monsalve slipped with a second straight 73 for seventh at 286 and Daiya Suzuki fumbled with a 75 to tumble to eighth at 287 followed by Guido van der Valk and Sean Ramos with 288 and 289 after 71 and 75, respectively.
