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Friday, March 29, 2024

Payumo emerges 1st Cassia Cup champion

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Antonio “Tonito” Payumo from the Philippines recently emerged as the inaugural 2018 Cassia Cup Champion at the Laguna Golf Bintan with a gross score of 70 equivalent to 41 stableford points.

Payumo received the tournament trophy from no less than Sir Nick Faldo himself, Laguna Golf brand ambassador and six-time Major winner.

The Filipino winner also received a luxurious golf holiday package at BanyanTree Phuket. 

“I am looking forward to going back to the Philippines in the near future,” Faldo told Payumo, recalling that it has been a long time since he was in the Philippines, where he designed the Faldo course at Eagle Ridge and Country Club in the mid 1990s. 

Sir Nick Faldo shows his fine form (above). At right (inset), he joins the PH’s Antonio Payumo (with tophy), inaugural winner of the Cassia Cup. 

Faldo also led two Golf Clinics and a three-hole playing lesson, where he shared insightful golfing tips that inspired the crowd. 

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“The Cassia Cup at Laguna Golf Bintan was a great event where I was able to interact with the golfers and fans. I love coming back to Laguna Bintan under the Banyan Tree Group. It is a beautiful destination integrated resort with a lovely beach and fine cuisine, a scenic golf course and an amazing spa for a total getaway,” said Faldo.

The Laguna Bintan Integrated Resort presented a once-in-a-lifetime weekend getaway with its inaugural Cassia Cup. Adding hype to Laguna Bintan’s vibrant lifestyle programming, the tournament saw 115 guests inclusive of 90 golfers, who competed over 18 holes with separate ladies and men’s divisions.

Meanwhile, Team Philippines, where Payumo was also member, took home four awards at the World Amateur Golfers Championship and Invitational in Johor, Malaysia. 

Mayolito Pillerin was crowned Division 3 (handicap 11-15) champion, with Payumo emerging as the Division 1 second runner-up and Marc Leviste (handicap 16-20) clinching a runner-up finish in Division 4. 

Pillerin, a businessman from Davao, tallied a total of 289 to beat Oskari Hiltunen of Finland (292) by three shots and Khairiansiah Salman (293) from Indonesia by four to bag the championship.

Defending champion Payumo started slow in the first round and was outside the top 12 with an 81, but fought back into contention and finished strong to bag third place. His scores for the four days were 81, 70, 76, and 70 (297 aggregate). 

Van Nam Doan of Vietnam fired a 67 in Day 4 at the Els Club (290 aggregate) to win by one over Finland’s Santtu Malin (291 aggregate), who came in second. Raghav Malik of India (302 aggregate) and Piotr Ludya of Poland (304 aggregate) came in fourth and fifth, respectively.

In Division 4, Leviste fired the day’s lowest score—a net 63 on the last day at the Els Club to finish with a 285 aggregate, which was good for second place, behind Rosian Ismail of Malaysia (282). Winston Cheng of the Netherlands came in third with a 288 aggregate.

In the two-man invitational team event, Leviste and Edward Co took third place with a combined net score of 596, three strokes behind champion, Perodua of Malaysia.

The 5-man championship team composed of Oliver Gan, Antonio Pascua, Joven Papio, Eric Si and Danny Odeste finished seventh, ahead of powerhouses Germany (eighth) and United States (ninth). 

The World Final was staged in four different courses in Johor, namely Forest City Golf Resort, Horizon Hills and Country Club, Els Club Desaru Coast, and Palm Cempaka Golf Course. 

National teams from 40 countries have battled their way through national championships to reach the world finals of the World Amateur Golfers Championships and Invitational. They were joined by VIP golf enthusiasts, business leaders, sponsors and even royalty from all parts of the globe. 

WAGC is the largest amateur golf tournament in the world and has been commemorated 22 times in numerous countries around the world.

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