Rookie Cook edges clear at Sea Island

LEADING scores after Saturday’s second round of the LPGA Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida ( par- 72, USA unless noted): 132 - Park Sung- Hyun ( KOR) 67- 65 135 - Caroline Masson ( GER) 6966, Sarah Jane Smith ( AUS) 66- 69

136 - Nelly Korda 70- 66, Pernilla TONY LASCUÑA pulled through with a near- impeccable closing two- under 70, beating American Nicolas Paez by two for the ICTSI Wack Wack crown as erstwhile joint leaders Zanieboy Gialon, Thai Pasavee Lertvilai and Justin Quiban crumbled in a pressurepacked finale at Wack Wack’s East course on Saturday.

Lascuña, who missed forcing a four- way tie for the lead with a final- hole bogey Friday, surged ahead with back- to- back birdies from No. 2 in second-to-last flight then held sway to the finish, banging in a clutch birdie putt on No. 14 then rattling off a slew of gutsy pars to match the rallying Paez’s two- under card.

He wound up with a two-under 286 and pocketed the top $17,500 purse, keeping the Filipinos’ domination of the first four legs of the inaugural Philippine Golf Tour Asia put up by ICTSI after Miguel Tabuena ( Southwoods), Rene Menor ( Splendido) and Clyde Mondilla (Riviera).

“It’s nice to win again. But I had to work hard to put myself back into contention,” said Lascuña, who rushed back to the range after trailing Gialon by five halfway through the $100,000 event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

“I also polished my putting stroke, medyo magalaw kasi. And when I pulled to within one after the third round, I knew I had a chance,” added the multi-titled veteran campaigner, who bounced back from a missed green bogey on No. 12 with a birdie from six feet on No. 14.

As Gialon, Lertvilai and Quiban all broke down in their hunt for birdies and pars in the featured flight and tumbled down the leaderboard, Paez took the challenger’s role but ran out of holes after stringing three straight birdies from No. 15. He settled for second with an even 288 and snatched the $11,500 runner-up prize.

Gialon, who went 3- up over Quiban after 36 holes, stayed on top with a birdie on No. 2 but slipped with three straight bogeys from No. 5 and faded after yielding another stroke on the 15th while missing a couple of birdie chances. He limped with a 75, the same output put in by Lertvilai, who failed to check a roller- coaster round marked by three birdies but marred by four bogeys and a double bogey.

Unheralded Rolando Marabe Jr. birdied three of the last six holes to save a 72 and tie Gialon and Lertvilai at 290. Each received $5,666. Lindberg ( SWE) 69- 67, Madelene Sagstrom ( SWE) 68- 68

137 - Jang Ha- Na ( KOR) 71- 66, Kim In- Kyung ( KOR) 70- 67, Jessica Korda 69- 68, Kim Sei- Young ( KOR) 68- 69, Suzann Pettersen ( NOR) 67- 70

138 - Austin Ernst 71- 67, Lexi Thompson 71- 67, Brittany Lincicome 70- 68, Pornanong Phatlum ( THA) 70- 68, Lydia Ko ( NZL) 67- 71

139 - Mo Martin 70- 69, Anna Nordqvist ( SWE) 70- 69, Ji EunHee ( KOR) 69- 70, Alex Marina 6871, Ariya Jutanugarn ( THA) 6871, Karine Icher ( FRA) 67- 72, Azahara Munoz ( ESP) 67- 72, Chien Pei- Yun ( TPE) 66- 73

Worse was Quiban, who never recovered from a bogey-bogey start and closed out the backside with four bogeys for a 77. He tumbled to joint sixth at 292 with Michael Bibat and Jobim Carlos, who carded identical 72s.

Jhonnel Ababa fired a 71 to finish ninth at 293 while Jelbert Gamolo turned in a 74, Aussie Marcus Both made a 76 and James Lam stumbled with a 77 for a share of 10th at 295 in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.

While the erstwhile joint leaders succumbed to final round pressure, Lascuña showed poise and class in putting up a strong start then went for conservative play on one of the country’s toughest courses after wresting control to finally nail the PGTA title after three failed bids.

It was also the former many- time PGT Order of Merit winner’s third championship this year, including the Manila Masters at Eastridge last April and the Forest Hills Championship last June.

He shoots for another two weeks from now when action in the region’s newest circuit shifts to Luisita Golf and Country Club in Tarlac for the Central Azucarera de Tarlac Open.

Austin Cook drained a birdie on his final hole to complete an eight-under-par 62 and grab a one-shot lead at the halfway stage of the RSM Classic on Friday (Saturday in Manila).

The 26-year-old PGA Tour rookie held his nerve on the last hole of the day on the par-70 Seaside course to move to 14 under, one clear of Brian Gay, who shot a second round 64 at Sea Island, Georgia.

Cook’s 18th hole birdie completed another remarkably consistent round for the rookie, who is one of only two players in the field not to have carded a bogey through 36 holes.

“We’ve just been able to hit the ball really well,” Cook said afterwards. “Speed on the greens has been really good and getting up and down has been great.

“Had a couple of stressful putts, but I’ve been able to roll them in.Everything’s going really well right now.”

Three players are tied for third, with Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung joining American duo Chris Kirk and Vaughn Taylor on nine under, five adrift of leader Cook.

Pan, playing on Sea Island’s Plantation course, carded a seven-under-par 65 on the par-72 layout.

Kirk, who had grabbed the lead with a sizzling 63 on the Plantation course on Thursday, found the going harder on the Seaside layout, settling for a level- par 70. Taylor shot a four- under- par 66.

A group of six players were a further shot back on eight under, including Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jonge and Canada’s Ben Silverman.

De Jonge and Silverman both shot 67s on the Seaside Course to stay in contention. LEADING scores after Saturday’s second round of the US PGA RSM Classic on the par-70 Seaside and par-72 Plantation courses at Sea Island, Georgia (USA unless noted): 128 - Austin Cook 66- 62 129 - Brian Gay 65- 64 133 - Pan Cheng- tsung ( TPE) 68- 65, Chris Kirk 63- 70, Vaughn Taylor 67- 66

134 - Brendon de Jonge ( ZIM) 67- 67, Brandt Snedeker 67- 67, Ben Silverman ( CAN) 67- 67, Andrew Landry 70- 64, Blayne Barber 67- 67, Brice Garnett 65- 69

135 - Kang Sung (KOR) 66-69, Kelly Kraft 70-65, Josh Teater 68-67, Brian Stuard 67-68, Patton Kizzire 66-69, Kevin Kisner 67-68, Bud Cauley 7263, Bubba Watson 71-64, Jim Herman 67-68, Webb Simpson 67-68, Joel Dahmen 64-71