TONY Lascuña continued to defy Father Time, using a couple of strong starts to keep his energy up throughout a grueling campaign that netted him a couple of romps to barge into the finals of the ICTSI Villamor Match Play at the Villamor Golf Club in Pasay yesterday.
“I thought I need to get ahead of them early. I’m so, so tired but good thing, my game didn’t change a bit,” said Lascuña, 51, after dominating Clyde Mondilla, 5 and 3, in the afternoon semifinals.
In the same fashion he booted out Gerald Rosales, 4 and 3, in the morning quarterfinals in hot conditions, Lascuna birdied the first two holes to take command, went 3-up after four then cleverly matched his rivals’ outputs in the closing holes to secure the wins and the coveted spot in the finals of the first head-to-head tournament in the country’s premier pro circuit put up by ICTSI.
“Like against Gerald, after the first four holes, I was up by 3. Then I played it safe but stayed focused in the succeeding holes, making sure they wouldn’t win three straight holes.
I played cautious — driving, iron and putting. I went for pars and made the most of my birdie chances (on the par-5s). Thank God I won. I was so exhausted,” said the second seeded Lascuna.
Standing in his way is a young, hungry ace due for a breakthrough victory as Keanu Jahns stopped Lloyd Go, 2 and 1, in the other semis clash to get a crack at the top P280,000 purse.
They mix it up today starting at 9 a.m.
