Lj Go bags CCC jungolf crown

CEBU, Philippines - Lloyd Jefferson ‘LJ’ Go as expected won the Cebu Country Club Junior crown last Friday, but the victory did not come the way that most thought it would be.

Go, the hands down favorite to win the crown pulled past Kento Nakada in a 39-hole thriller.

In his blog on cccjungolf.multiply.com, Jovi Neri, chairman of the club’s junior golf committee said that Nakada went up three holes after nine holes before Go managed to sink a birdie on the par-5 11th to go two-down. Nakada, however, birdied the 18th hole to once again go three-up halfway through the match.

After hitting the water on the dog-leg right par-5 2nd, Nakada saw his lead trimmed down to just two holes and almost saw it go down to only one hole after once again finding the water to the right of the fairway on the par-4 4th.

Nakada however sank a 12-footer for a bogey and Go, who made it in regulation, three-putted allowing the former to halve the hole and stay two-holes up.

He once again managed to go three-up after a birdie on the par-3 5th (23rd hole) but then he seemed to have coasted downhill from there, or maybe so thought the gallery.

On the par-4 6th (24th hole), Nakada hit the water in front of the green allowing Go to cut his lead and then went out of bounds on the par-5 7th (25th hole) before three-putting on the 9th (27th) that allowed Go to tie the match with nine holes to go.

Nakada wasn’t done for good though as he hit the pin on the par-4 10th (28th hole) for a birdie and sank a long putt for a birdie 4 on the par-5 11th to once again go two-up.

Go however made up with a 20-foot scramble for par on the 12th after both players missed the green and also delicately landed a bunker shot to within two feet from the cup on the par-3 13th to eventually put the match back to all square with five holes to go.

Nakada once again took the lead on the par-3 15th and held on to that flimsy advantage going to the last hole after Go let go of an opportunity to tie the match on the 17th when he hooked his second shot on the straight away par-4.

On the 18th (36th hole) Nakada hit his second shot into the right side bunker while Go masterfully used a 52-degree wedge that saw the ball sail past the hole landing near the fringe, but it rolled back to within inches from the cup for a gimme birdie that sent the match into sudden death.

In the first playoff hole, Go almost had it with a spectacular recovery shot that gave him a chance for birdie, which he barely missed while Nakada sank a five-footer to save par and extend the match.

On the second hole (9th), Nakada, after hitting way short of the green, chipped to within five feet and made par forcing Go to a make-or-break par-saver from four feet, which he also sank to once again extend the match.

On the third playoff hole (1st), Go drove to the center of the fairway while Nakada’s tee shot found the trees on the right, but he quickly recovered while Go had a rather weak second shot that left him farther from the pin.

After leaving three and half feet for a par, Nakada’s birdie attempt barely missed the lip, but the ball only came to rest five feet away and his comeback putt was short to finish with a bogey.

Go found the opportunity that he waited for and made his par to win the match. – THE FREEMAN