Archer bags three golds in US meet
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BACOLOD – Tony Lascuña played true to form and turned in a bogey-less four-under 66, tying rookie anie Boy Gialon at the helm as erstwhile leader James Ryan Lam turned from awesome to awful with a 75 in the second round of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic here yesterday.
Lascuña rallied from three strokes down with a closing three-under 32 at the front in one of the late flights at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club, barely missing grabbing the solo lead with a couple of flubbed birdie putts in the last four holes.
Still, his 66 and a 36-hole haul of 134 put him on line for another victory on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour after romping off with the Eagle Ridge and Manila Southwoods crowns over Jay Bayron and Angelo ue, respectively.
This time, however, Lascuña will have a rookie rival standing in his bid for a third title in the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
“I’ll just play my game, go to my routine and hope for the best,” said the 22-year-old Gialon, who matched Lascuña’s output in the first two days but also missed taking the solo lead with a faltering finish. The duo led Elmer Saban and Clyde Mondilla by three.
Gialon, who shot an impressive 31 at the frontside Wednesday, did much better yesterday, scoring a tournamentbest 29, completing a three-birdie string from No. 4 for the second straight day.
He chipped in for another birdie on No. 11 for a seven-under card and could’ve pulled away from the field if not for a shaky finish marred by three bogeys on the last holes. He wound up with a 66.
“Sayang talaga. But that’s golf,” rued Gialon, who failed to rescue a par from the bunker on Nos. 12 and 13 then three putted the par-3 16th when he went for a birdie from 10 feet.
Gialon turned pro early this year in the ICTSI Philippine Open where he missed the cut by just one at Wack Wack. He also failed to advance in his first tournament on the ICTSI-sponsored circuit at Splendido but made the cut in the next five legs, posting a joint seventh place finish at Sherwood.
After shooting a flawless 64 in the first round, Lam looked headed for another solid round when he birdied No. 2 for the second straight day. But after a slew of pars in the next four holes, he dropped a stroke on No. 7 then blew it all at the back with four bogeys with no birdie to show for a 75. He slipped to joint eighth at 139, five strokes off the pace.
Saban also shot a 68 to tie Mondilla, who carded a 69, at third, three shots off Lascuña and Gialon at 137 while Elmer Salvador, winner at Sherwood, also fired a 68 for joint fifth with Mhark Fernando and Paulo San Gabriel, who both had 69s, for 138.
Catching Lam at eighth place were Richard Sinfuego, who rallied with a 66, Marvin Dumandan, who shot a 69, Dante Becierra and Nilo Salahog, who both matched par 72s.
Michael Bibat, who had a solid 66 in the first round, also fumbled with a 74 and dropped to 13th at 140 while Gerald Rosales, the former Philippine Open champion, matched Lam’s first round 64 to move to joint 14th at 141 with Angelo ue, who had a 68, Cassius Casas, who made a 69, Richard Abaring, who fired a 70, and Benjie Magada, who carded a 72.
Teener Bianca Gotuaco continued to make her mark abroad as she swept the gold medals in the US Ranking tournament in Canton, Massachusetts and she scooped up one more in the tough US Nationals in Hamilton, Ohio recently.
Competing in the recurve cadet women’s division under the California banner, Gotuaco, a Palarong Pambansa champion, flashed fine form in the Nor Easter Tournament, topping both the Ranking Round and the Olympic Round of the meet, one of the five major US Ranking tournaments.
Gotuaco, 14, shot 619 after 72 arrows to beat Washington’s Elizabeth Caughell (609) and fellow Californian Jehnna Ahn (604) for the Ranking Gold.
She maintained her steady shooting in the Olympic Round, where she beat Lianne un of Connecticut, 6-0, and Allysa Nicole Posecion of Texas, 7-3, to complete a two-gold romp.
Gotuaco, one of the Batang Pinoy scholars set for a summer sports scholarship in London from July 28-Aug. 12, sustained her top form in the Easton JOAD Nationals as she topped the Ranking Round with 1265 and just fell short of another medal in the Olympic Round.
She started off with a 6-0 victory over Odelia Wong of Canada but bowed to semifinal rival Jennyu Han of Arizona, 0-6, bomb out of the gold medal showdown. Gotuaco later dropped a 1-7 decision to Madison Ech of Washington, to settle for fourth.