Que sees opening and completes rally to snatch Caliraya title

Angelo Que. –HANDOUT PHOTO

Sensing that something befell the overnight leader in the flight behind, Angelo Que fired on all cylinders in his final 11 holes on Friday to shoot a six-under-par 66 and complete a rally from three shots down to rule the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship of the Philippine Golf Tour in Cavinti, in Laguna.

The 47-year-old had an eagle and four birdies against his only final round bogey in that span, with the last of those birds coming on the 72nd hole as he held off another hard-closing veteran, Antonio Lascuña, for the crown with a 270 tally.

Keanu Jahns, who fired a 66 on Thursday to wrest a one-shot lead over Lascuña and Zanieboy Gialon, signed for a disastrous 11 on the par-5 fourth hole to drop out of the lead—and the title fight—ultimately settling for sixth, six shots off after a 75.

Dutchman Guido van der Valk checked in third two shots adrift after a 68, with Lascuña, who had a one-shot lead after a routine par 5 on the 16th, muffing a chance to forge a playoff after missing a three-footer for par on the 17th and narrowly missing a 15-footer for birdie on the 18th.

Which made Que’s final hole birdie stand out on a day he grinded it out.

“I wasn’t pressured at all when I fell behind by one and needed a birdie on the last hole,” Que, the Order of Merit winner last year who has now chalked up a fourth win since last season, said. “I just played the last hole the way it should be played.”

Lascuña, seeking to rewrite the tour record of the oldest winner at 55, had led the tournament after the first two days when he shot a combined 12-under, including the week’s best, a 64, in the first round.

The layout was at the mercy of the talented field as a total of 33 players finished with under-par totals, as Que shared week’s honors with Harmie Constantino, who won the ladies title on Thursday by shooting a 68.

Constantino won in wire-to-wire style, with Mafy Singson, another Bong Lopez ward like Que, checking in six shots behind in second after a 70. Tiffany Lee carded a 71 to finish third at 215.