Wang rules Canlubang Open by 3

MANILA, Philippines - Korean Wang Jeung Hyun outgunned Jobim Carlos in an early shootout then cruised to a three-shot victory with a closing one-under 71 in the Canlubang Amateur Open Golf Championship at Cangolf’s north course in Laguna yesterday.

The 15-year-old Wang, just one shot ahead of Carlos at the start of the final round, jumped the gun on the ICTSI-Cangolf bet with back-to-back birdie opening and survived a roller-coaster backside stint to clinch the victory.

He wound up with a 207, beating Carlos, who hobbled with a 73 for a 210 and holding off a rallying Dante Becierra of ICTSI-The Country Club, who turned in the day’s best score of seven-under 65 for a 211.

The victory over the cream of the country’s amateur crop was also a vindication of sorts for the Riviera bet, who was disqualified in the final round of the WWWExpress-DHL National Golf Championships, which he led, also at Cangolf last February.

This time he won it convincingly, anchoring his triumph with a stirring 65 in the second round of the 54-hole tournament hosted by Cangolf and sponsored by The Turf Company and Pacsports Phils.

Lovelynn Guioguio, meanwhile, ran away with the ladies crown with a two-under 70 for a 134 and a five-stroke victory over ICTSI teammates Jayvie Agojo, who also had a 70, and Andrea Unson, who fired a 69.

Daniella Uy shot the day’s best of 68 and placed fourth with a 140 followed by Sarah Ababa (72-141), Regina de Guzman (72-145), Geleen Handog (75-146), Lucy Landicho (76-147) and Lee Bo Ram (82-156) in that order.

Nam Seung Hee of Eagle Ridge fired a 71 and finished fourth with a 217 while ICTSI-TCC’s Peter Villaber (70) Alexis Nallos (73) and Sung Hwan Yoon (71), also of Riviera, ended up tied at 218.

Art Arbole skied to a 76 and shared eighth place with Jessie Balasabas, who also made a 76, at 219 followed by the 222 of Zanieboy Gialon (79), Carl Santos Ocampo (72) and Hwang Kang Youl (71).

Mhark Fernando, the former national champion, closed out his forgettable stint with a 76 and tied dethroned champion and pro-bound Jhonnel Ababa, who matched par 72, at 223 along with Chuckie Hong of ICTSI-TCC, who had a 71.

Carlos failed to match Wang’s fiery opening with a par-bogey start and fell by as many as four strokes. He birdied No. 3 but still stood three shots behind at the turn.

After three straight pars at the back, Wang went on a bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey ride but Carlos failed to gain ground as the duo closed out with similar 37s, enabling the Korean teener to cruise to victory.

Ten shots behind, Becierra launched his bid with four birdies at the front then added four more at the back against a lone bogey, finishing with a 32-33 for that 65.

The 11th staging of the Cangolf Am was backed by ICTSI, Dynamic Sports, Inc., Coca-Cola Bottlers, Inc., GolfWorx, Jose Ma. Hechanova, Rudy Project, Greenlink Trading, Otsuka (Phils) Pharmaceutical, Inc., MayCar Foods, Inc., Merlo Agricultural Corp., Mesaland Dev’t. Corp., Nature’s Spring, Pilipinas Golfbag Mfg., San Miguel Brewery, Inc., Seamecor, Inc., and Whealth, Inc.