Lascuña conquers Apo

I told myself that I needed to birdie the 16th and I did.

TONY Lascuña fires a 69 to rule ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational.

Tony Lascuña bucked a day-long threat from Keanu Jahns then matched the Filipino-German’s fiery finish to card a 69 and clinch the ICTSI Apo Golf Invitational crown by three and complete a back-to-back triumphant campaign in Taiwan last week and in Davao yesterday.

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 however matched to all but secure the championship in the P3 million event sponsored by ICTSI.

“I played cautiously and meticulously all throughout but when I saw that he threatened within two, I told myself that I needed to birdie the 16th and I did,” said Lascuña after completing the wire-to-wire victory with a 13-under 275 total worth P550,000.

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 with his latest feat heralding the return of the former three-time Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion to the PGT ladder following a two-year winless campaign.

“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.

“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.