GO CAPTURES AM OPEN TITLE
LOIS KAYE GO survived Bianca Pagdanganan’s blazing backside charge with clutch par putts in the last two holes, claiming the hotly disputed Philippine Amateur Open Golf Championship women’s crown on a closing 70 for a one-shot victory at Riviera’s Langer course in Silang, Cavite, on Sunday. Just when Go thought she had the championship all but wrapped up after storming to a four-shot lead at the turn, Pagdanganan came charging back with three birdies in the last nine holes, including back-to-back feats from No. 15 to pull within one. But she failed to cap her fiery rally with flubbed birdie chances from long range in the last two holes and Go, a Boston College junior, kept her poise and matched her Asian Games gold medal teammate’s pars to clinch the country’s premier championship on a 72-hole 285 total.
“I got a little bit rattled after she [Pagdanganan] birdied Nos. 15 and 16. But I stayed relaxed and told myself to just take it easy,” said Go, who trailed the fancied Pagdanganan and Thai ace Atthaya Thitikul with a 71 in the first round, closed in on the duo with a gutsy 74 in tough conditions on Friday then surged ahead with a brilliant 70 in windy play on Saturday.
Pagdanganan, who trailed by three after 54 holes, fell farther back with a par-game (35) in the first nine holes as Go closed out the frontside with a birdie-bogey-birdie stint for a 34.
With a huge lead, Go, a Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist who also won the Kuala Lumpur Amateur Open last year, opted to go for regulation pars at the back but Pagdanganan worked her way back with a birdie on the 10th then threatened within one with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16, a run that, however, proved short after failing to set up short birdie opportunities in the last two holes.
The Asiad individual bronze medalist finished with a 68 for a 286 in the event sponsored by the MVP Sports Foundation and backed by Cignal and Metro Pacific and official hotel Summit Ridge.
Fiercer was the battle for the men’s diadem with Gen Nagai of Japan edging Thai Vanchai Luangnitikul with a birdie on the second extra hole of a three-man playoff with Singapore’s Lucius Toh in the event held as part of the PLDT Group National Amateur Tour.
Nagai and Toh fought back with identical 71s to force a three-way tie at 298 after 72 holes as Luangnitikul stumbled with a 72. But Toh bowed out early with a bogey on the first playoff hole (No. 18), then Nagai struck a solid approach shot to within 4 feet for birdie on their next return to No. 18 to beat the Thai, who missed the green, for the crown.
“I played my best game today [yesterday] this win will bring me more confidence as I head back to the US,” said the Mandaue, Cebu-based Nagai, a former Philippine junior champion and member of the Seton Hall U Athletics.
Ivan Monsalve turned in a 73 and wound up a far fourth at 204 while Aidric Chan limped with a 75 for fifth at 305.
Back in women’s play, Thitikul, just one behind Go after 54 holes, never recovered from a threebogey mishap from No. 4 and virtually dropped out of contention with bogeys on Nos. 9 and 12. She wound up with a 76 and ended up third at 292.
Malaysian Natasha Oon carded a 74 for fourth at 299 while last year’s runner Kim Heeji of Korea also shot a 74 for 301 for fifth followed by Junia Gabasa (80-305), Nicole Abelar (73-306), Japanese Tai Saito (75-308), Korean Kim Seo-yun (78-310) and Ayumi Takahashi of Japan (73), Thai Kultida Pramphun (75) and Mikha Fortuna (77), who tied for 10th at 311 in the event organized and conducted by the National Golf Association of the Philippines (NGAP).
Shinichi Suzuki rallied with a 77 for a 158, posting a five-stroke victory over Korean Kim Tae-won (88-163) in the Special Division for boys’ while Korean Heeyeon Bang bagged the girls’ title with a 166 after a 79, three-strokes ahead of compatriot Jeong Yeah-eun (89-169) in the event serving as part of NGAP’s talent search.