Murakami coasts to record 13-shot win

STA. ROSA CITY, Laguna – Artemio Murakami finally joined his friends in The Country Club Invitational winners’ circle by topping this year’s edition of the P4.63 million event in grand fashion, essaying a record 13-shot victory over Angelo Que with a closing two-under 68 yesterday.

It was the lone under par card posted in the most challenging day at The Country Club when the howling winds took the fight out of his fancied rivals early on and brought out the worst in the amateurs who had pursued Murakami in the first three days like they were ready to foil his crack at glory and the P1.35 million purse.

But none measured up to the challenge. Not even Que, champion here in 2007, who wavered with a 73, or last year’s runaway winner Juvic Pagunsan, who had a forgettable 78. Not even the worst condition ever seen in the tournament’s seven-year staging.

For it was an all-Murakami show from the start with the 25-year-old Fil-Japanese firing a record-setting eight-under 62 in the first round en route to eclipsing Pagunsan’s 11-shot romp over Que last year with a four-day display of brilliance and mental toughness rarely seen in young players like him.

Murakami, who finished off his rivals with a solid 33 at the front, even made a bogey blast on the 18th, his lone black mark in the day when bogey was a rule rather than exception. He hit his approach shot into the big pond then dumped his fourth into the frontside bunker and, with a 14-shot lead over Que, could’ve hit it back into the hazard twice and still won by a margin.

“This victory is sweeter (than my win in Johor Open) because all my friends have won this one. At least, I can now say that I belong to the group,” said Murakami, who won over P2 million in his breakthrough victory on the Asian Tour in 2007 and opened the new season with a P1.35 million win.

He raised both arms in triumph after his final blast sent his ball bouncing onto the green once and resting for a while between the pin and the hole before disappearing.

It drew a big applause from the gallery and it became a fitting ending to an outstanding 11-under performance on one of the country’s toughest layouts. He went straight to mentor Frankie Miñoza, who had inspired him to become one of the country’s top shotmakers.

“The key here was my 62 in the first round. I was able to build a big lead and play the way I should in the next three days,” said Murakami, who dedicated the victory, his fourth in a young career, to his sponsors American Eye Center and ICTSI.

“He’s been playing well from tee to green. Hopefully, he’ll continue to practice,” said Miñoza, who wound up joint 14th with Benjie Magada (78) with a 294 after a 75.

Que finished runner-up for the second straight year, his 73 giving him a 282 aggregate worth P685,000 while Danny Zarate birdied four of the last seven holes to salvage a 70 and gain a share of third with 2005 winner Jerome Delariarte (71) and Mars Pucay (73) at 284. Each took home P326,667.

Amateur Rufino Bayron, the closest player at four shots behind Murakami at the start of the final round, made six bogeys at the front for a 41 and limped home with a 79, his dreams for a second pro win got blown by the wind. Bayron, the top player on the ICTSI amateur team who humbled the pros to win the Valley of the Philippine Golf Tour late last year, finished with a 284 for solo sixth.

Anya Tanpinco, the other player in the championship flight, also cracked under pressure, hobbling with a 78 after solid rounds of 71, 70 and 68 for joint eighth with Jay Bayron (78) at 287.