CAVINTI, Laguna – Angelo Que closed out with brilliant 6-under-par 66 in a remarkable comeback highlighted by a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the ICTSI Caliraya Springs title by one shot on Friday, May 22, here.
On a day of cinematic chaos, Que showed the poise of a seasoned assassin while third round leader Keanu Jahns shot himself in the foot with a monumental mistake on the par-5 No. 4 of the Caliraya Springs Golf Club, holing out with a catastrophic 11.
In the blink of an eye, the defending champion was dethroned and that opener the for at least six players to make a legitimate run at the title.
But it was Que who stood out, what with his blistering back-nine assault to tally a four-day total of 18-under 270, just a one shot ahead of veteran Tony Lascuna finished with a 69.
Lascuna added drama to Que’s coronation.
He could have forged a playoff if not for his own mistakes – first when he flubbed a short three-footer for par on the No. 17 and then on the 18th when his 15-foot birdie putt agonizingly missed the cup.
That enabled Que to claim the hotly-disputed crown and bank the top purse of P450,000.
It was a fittingly dramatic end to a week battled out in the sun, rain and wind, capping a finale replete with suspense, twists, and turns in what may well be the most unpredictable finish in Philippine Golf Tour history.
Guido van der Valk carded a 68 to claim third place at 272, while Sean Ramos rallied with a 67 to snatch fourth at 273. Close behind was Zanieboy Gialon, who posted a 274 after a 72 – the razor-thin, one-stroke margins underscoring just how tight and unpredictable the finale proved to be.
Meanwhile, Jahns struggled to a 75, ultimately finishing sixth at 276.
While the drama and suspense didn’t dissipate until the very last putt, Jahns’ nightmare on the fourth proved just as defining for the tournament as Que’s spectacular comeback victory.
Locked in a fierce battle with van der Valk, who had just caught him at 15-under in the group ahead, Jahns looked to make a statement. Instead, the golfing gods intervened. Misjudging a treacherous wind, he drove into the hazard. What followed wasn’t just a mistake, it was a surreal, compounding nightmare. For a player of Jahns’ immense talent and cool composure, what happened next defied logic.
He sent his second drive into the same hazard. Then, agonizingly, his third. Devastated, he opted to play it safe and finally sent his fourth on the fairway.
With every mishit, the gallery watched in collective, breathless horror. Playing 8, Jahns laid up before the lake and finally reached the green in 9 and two-putted for a devastating 11.
In a matter of minutes, Jahns plummeted from the top of the heap to a tie for ninth, suddenly trailing by six at nine-under. It was a psychological blow from which he would not recover.
As the shockwaves of Jahns’ collapse reverberated across the sprawling layout all the way to the clubhouse, the leaderboard dissolved into absolute pandemonium. With the favorite suddenly out of the picture, the title chase became a wild, wide-open shootout – and survival.
And Que didn’t just survive the wild, chaotic finish – he masterfully orchestrated it.
