Tanpinco playoff win lifts RP team

J. R. Tanpinco parred the first extra hole yesterday to beat South Korea’s Son Hyeon Ho in their sudden death playoff and key the Philippines’ five-title romp in the sixth Samsung Philippine International Junior Golf Championship.

It was a dramatic come-from-behind win for Tanpinco, who shot a 75 to force the tournament’s first sudden playoff after Son limped home with an 80 to wind up with identical 312 for 72 holes.

"This is a good day to celebrate my final year as a junior and it’s even greater since I retained my title," said Tanpinco, 21. The special division is limited to players who are 18-21 years old.

Actually, it was a double family celebration as Tanpinco’s sister Anya, 19, also kept the girls’ special division tiara after coming up with 74 to wind up with a 54-hole total of 237.

Jenz Tecson carded a 77 to go with Tanpinco’s 75 for 152 to power the host country clinch the team title with a three-day total of 459. Second was Malaysia with 464, followed by South Korea 474.

Allan Miñoza and Holen Juan Superal were the other Filipinos to capture titles.

Superal sparkled with a 69 at the Wack Wack East course to win the Class D title with 215, followed by Thailand’s Jun Heo 76-231 and Ralph Waldo Salao of the Philippines 89-285.

Miñoza, the 16-year-old nephew of top pro Frankie, carded an 82 for 307 to capture the Class A crown—thanks to the tournament rule that no player can win two championships.

Actually, Singapore’s Choo Tze Huang came up with 76 for 304 to win both the Class A and overall titles. But since, he could not claim both, he settled to bring home his second overall crown in a row.

"It’s nice to win it again," he said. Asked if he is coming back next year, he answered: "Most probably. It would be nice to make a hattrick."

Seventy-six players from the Philippines, South Korea, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand competed in the event Edgardo Cantada, the president of the Philippine Junior Golf Foundation, set in 1998.

Samsung was the title sponsor.

Other backers were Cebu Pacific, Wilson Sports, Morelia Travel and Tours Inc., Herma Group of Companies, Pagcor, Mitsubishi Motors, Bingo Bonanza, Toyota Otis, Pisanti Golf;

Philippine Flour Mills, Rizal Rep. Gilberto Duavit, Takanobu Taira, Airlift Asia Inc., Raul Jorge, Sysu International, Absolute Distilled Water, Gatorade and EDSA Shangri-La.