STA. ROSA, Laguna—Tony Lascuña took charge in a gripping turn of events in another punishing day at The Country Club, overcoming a huge deficit and snatching the lead from Miguel Tabuena with a clutch two-shot swing on the last hole in the third round of the TCC Invitational here on Thursday.
Short in length but long in talent, Lascuna showed tenacity and skill as he crafted a gritty 72, bucking challenging conditions with a masterful frontside assault and dislodging Tabuena with a stupefying birdie off a spectacular shot on the demanding closing hole to find himself the bewildered leader at even-par 216.
Lascuna’s bold 3-wood second shot from 225 yards sailed against the high winds and landed 12 feet off the cup. After twice studying the line of his putt, he drilled it in to rescue a 35-37 and complete his remarkable charge from four shots down halfway through the P6 million tournament and closer to a second championship.
“Grabe ang course. Lamang talaga dito ang long hitters pero maganda ang pitch-and-putt ko,” said Lascuna, whose performance mirrored his victory 20 years ago in what used to be the Don Pocholo Razon Memorial Cup, highlighting the enduring quality of his game.
Despite giving away significant yardage off the mound to Tabuena and Clyde Mondilla, Lascuna’s exceptional shots, including a chip-in birdie on the wind-raked par-3 No. 6 brought him within striking distance. The seasoned campaigner’s monster 60-foot birdie putt on the par-5 No. 2 hinted at a day of brilliance, setting the stage for a compelling showdown with Tabuena, who finished without a birdie for the second straight day, leading to a 77 and a 217.
Tabuena clung onto the lead despite a four-bogey card after 17 holes. But he came up short on the 18th green and failed to get up-and-down from 15 feet, slipping to second after a dominant start with a record 64 and holding sway in the second round after a 76.
“I putted the ball well but I wasn’t happy with the way I struck it (ball). My long game wasn’t to my standards,” rued Tabuena, who bogeyed three of the last five holes for an uncharacteristic 38-39.
The two-time Philippine Open champion faced early challenges as he missed makeable putts, leading to bogeys on Nos. 6 and 9.
Lascuna, 53, capitalized on these opportunities, closing the gap and guaranteeing another title duel reminiscent of their clash in the ICTSI TCC Match Play Invitational last November.
The 29-year-old Tabuena took that one in emphatic fashion, romping off with a 4&3 victory in a rain-hit finale and he looked poised to zeroing in on a second TCC Invitational championship after staying in control after 36 holes.
But Lascuña, the only four-time Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit winner, including three straight from 2012, continued to defy time and odds, showcasing toughness and resolve.
While the rest of the select field struggled to contend with the demanding course, the fight for the top P2 million prize narrowed down to Lascuna and Tabuena, transcending generations in a battle for supremacy in the country’s premier championship.
Lloyd Go, runner-up to Guido van der Valk last year, matched Lascuña’s day-best 72 to earn a share of third at seven-over 223 with reigning PGT OOM winner Jhonnel Ababa, who carded a 75, while Mondilla bounced back from a 10-over card after 8 holes with four birdies to save a 79 for a 224.
Korean-American Micah Shin, who nipped Tabuena to become the first non-Filipino winner of this event in 2018, shot a 76 join Keanu Jahns and Korean Min Seong Kim, who made 79 and 80, respectively, at sixth at 229 while van der Valk fumbled with an 81 to drop to ninth at 230.
Sean Ramos rebounded from a second round 84 with a 77 as he tied for 10th at 231 with last year’s PGT Iloilo leg runaway winner Rupert Zaragosa, who skied to an 84.
As Lascuña eyes a second TCC Invitational crown, he acknowledge the significant difference in course set-up from his 2004 victory.
“Bata pa ako noon, pero ang difference ay sa course, kasi dati kaya ko talagang manalo, pero ngayon mahaba na (ang course) at mahirap,” said Lascuña.
“Pero nandito pa rin ang galing ko. Mahaba lang talaga ang course para sa akin ngayon,” added Lascuna, who uses driver, 3-wood and hybrid to tackle the par-5s and the long par-4 holes while his rivals utilizes irons for approach shots.
“Si Miguel malakas at mahirap talunin dito. Pero laro lang ako at mag-take advantage ‘pag binigyan ng chance,” he said.
Tabuena expressed respect for Lascuña’s game, saying: “Tony is a great player. I did expect him to scramble out there. He’s not a long-hitter but hits it straight. If he chips and putts well, he’s in a good spot.”
“I hope to win but it will take more birdies, had zero birdies today (yesterday), hopefully I get a couple tomorrow (today),” added Tabuena. “I’ll just stick to my game plan and hopefully, luck will be on my side.”
