Thai thwarts local rivals, cops golf title

Manila, Philippines - Thai ace Thanyakon Khrongpha bested the cream of the country’s pro golf by winning the $50,000 ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat Championship, closing out with an eagle-spiked five-under 67 for a three-shot victory over Juvic Pagunsan at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club in Lipa City, Batangas yesterday.

Not even a final hole bogey could stop the 21-year-old Khrongpha from humbling the local field and pocketing the hotly-disputed crown worth $8,126 as he built enough cushion with a scorching five-under 31 at the front to rule the rain-interrupted 72-hole championship.

He wound up with a 15-under 273, launching his fightback from the middle of the pack with a fiery six-under 66 in the weather-delayed third round to tie Tony Lascuna at the helm early Saturday then kept the momentum with that 31 that featured three straight birdies from No. 5 and highlighted by an eagle-3 on the par-5 ninth.

That blazing start put Khrongpha five shots clear off Lascuna, the solo second round leader, who struggled with his putting early on while settling for an even 36 after nine holes. Lascuna birdied two of the first five holes coming home but ran out of holes in his comeback bid and like Khrongpha, bogeyed the final hole for a 71 to yield the runner-up honors to Pagunsan.

“I feel great. I played really well and confidently. After the front nine I felt I was able to cruise. I did not know what was happening on the leaderboard and did not care. I just kept on going and playing my own game. It’s an important win,” said Thanyakon.

Pagunsan, who with teener Miguel Tabuena bounced back to within one off Khrongpha and Lascuna at the start of the final round of the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc., found his win streak snap despite a three-under 69, ending up three strokes behind Khrongpha with a 12-under 276 worth $5,616.

Lascuna, 40, wound up with a 277 for third worth $3,151 while the 16-year-old Tabuena finished solo fourth at 279 after a 72 marred by three straight bogeys from No. 14. He took home $2,551.

Eight other local bets followed suit, none able to scuttle Khrongpha’s title bid with Rufino Bayron placing fifth with a 280 after a 68 worth $2,051.

Jay Bayron, the reigning Order of Merit champion on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, strung up four birdies in the first five holes at the back, including three straight from No. 10, but bogeyed two of the last four for a 70. He wound up sixth with a 281 and received $1,801.

Khrongpha’s victory also kept Thailand’s domination of the event, backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports., which Chawalit Plaphol ruled last year with an eight-stroke romp of Pagunsan.

Elmer Salvador and Jerson Balasabas finished joint seventh with 282 after a 69 and 70, respectively, while Jhonnel Ababa bogeyed four of the first five holes for a 74, ending up tied for ninth with 2007 champion Mars Pucay, who eagled the par-5 17th but wound up with an even par 72, at 283.

“I played really well. My only mistake was on the 16th where I hit my tee shot out of bounds,” said Thanyakon after turning in a 66 in the third round.

The Thai golfer from Konkan, who nipped Jay Bayron in sudden death to win the Kariza Indonesia Championship of the ASEAN PGA Tour last year, turned pro at the beginning of last year after a stellar season on the amateur circuit winning the Malaysian and Thailand Amateur Championships.

 While Pagunsan, Lascuna and Tabuena gutted it out in the featured local flight, Khrongpha frolicked in a group that included compatriot Panuwat Muenlek and Balasabas, hitting three straight birdies from No. 5 before capping his romp with an eagle on No. 9.

With Pagunsan and Tabuena making identical 34s and Lascuna matching par 36 at the turn, Khrongpha found himself four clear off Pagunsan and Tabuena and five ahead of Lascuna, playing virtually pressure at the back where he dropped a stroke on the par-3 11th but hit another birdie on No. 13 before holing out with a birdie-bogey finish for the win.