Lloyd Jefferson Go
Cebuano ace Lloyd Jefferson Go tried to make a go at it but in the end, Tony Lascuna’s veteran smarts proved too much as the latter won the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic with a three-under par 67 during the final round yesterday at the Marapara layout in Bacolod.
Go, a proud product of the Cebu Country Club program who is now honing his skills at Seton Hall in the NCAA Division 1, was actually down by five strokes but pulled to within one with three birdies in the first five holes.
However, Lascuna rebounded from a bogey on the fourth hole with birdie putts on the sixth, seventh and ninth holes to once again put up a three-shot lead.
It was cruise control from there as Lascuna came through with routine pars and a birdie at the back for a 34 while Salvador and Go, who both made the turn at 31, ran out of steam and firepower and wound up with identical 35s and 66s.
Lascuna took another P200,000 for his latest feat, which also firmed up his hold of the Order of Merit lead and a crack at a record third straight OOM crown.
Salvador missed clinching solo second with a bogey on the par-5 18th for a 272 but still took the P120,000 runner-up prize as Go settled for low amateur honors.
Go, who put himself in contention with a solid 66 last Friday, kept the momentum going with back-to-back birdies from the second hole. With Lascuna muffing a par-putt bid from seven feet on the fourth, Go birdied the fifth to move within one.
But Lascuna matched Go’s birdie on the sixth then knocked down birdies on Nos. 7 and 9 to regain control at the turn.