Aunzo foils Pagunsan, cops first pro crown

MANILA, Philippines - Ferdie Aunzo hung tough with clutch pars in the closing holes, including a delicate eight-footer on No. 17, for a 69 as he held off a charging Rey Pagunsan to record his maiden victory on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour at the Royal Northwoods Golf and Country Club in San Rafael, Bulacan yesterday.

Aunzo, five shots ahead of Pagunsan at the start of the final round of the ICTSI-Royal Northwoods Classic, thwarted Richard Sinfuego and Benjie Magada’s challenge with three birdies in the first 11 holes unmindful of the veteran Pagunsan’s charge three flights ahead of the championship group.

Pagunsan made one big surge with a cluster of birdies and finished with a tournament-best seven-under par 65, hoping for at least a playoff against the former national amateur champion with an 11-under 205.

But Aunzo kept his poise and came through with gutsy pars in the last four holes to preserve a bogey-free round of 34-35 for a 54-hole total of 204.

“I didn’t know until No. 14 that I was only leading by one over Pagunsan. So I told myself to just hang in there and make regulation pars,” said Aunzo, who had to sink one from eight feet on the par-4 17th to ensure the victory.

He won P200,000, which came three weeks after he bagged P128,300 after he tied for second with Sinfuego and Demetrio Sanchez in the ICTSI-Riviera Classic topped by amateur champion Mhark Fernando.

The breakthrough win also catapulted Aunzo to the top of the Order of Merit standings with P510,000 in winnings heading into the last three legs of the 10-stage circuit sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Pagunsan settled for second worth P120,000 while Mt. Malarayat leg champion Danny Zarate and Elmer Salvador, winner at ICTSI-Sherwood Classic, tied for third at 207 after 68 and 69, respectively, in the tournament backed by MJCarr Golf Management, Pisanti, Srixon, FAMI, Business Mirror, Motorola, Omnisource, Nike Golf, Tiger Gatorade and Pepsico. Each received P57,500.

Sinfuego and Magada, who started the round just two shots off Aunzo, reeled back, with the former fumbling with back-to-back bogeys from No. 9 and the latter stumbling with a double-bogey on No. 8. Both wound up with 71s and finished tied for fifth with Eric Gozo (70), Jerome Delariarte (70) at 208. Each took home P32,500.

Anthony Fernando, the other rookie pro in the roster, rallied with a 68 and ended up ninth with a 209 worth P24,000 while Kim Chang Hoi, who made quite an impression with a 67 in the first round, matched par 72 and wound up 10th with a 210 worth P24,000.