BAGUIO CITY – Lloyd Go birdied his final hole for a 71 and completed a commanding wire-to-wire victory at the ICTSI Pinewoods Challenge on Friday, July 3, here.
As Go closed out with a flourish, his three closest pursuers – as if scripted – floundered, paving the way to a staggering 12-stroke win over Jeffren Lumbo at the Pinewoods Golf Club.
“I did think about winning, but there’s never such a thing as a sure win. This course is very challenging – you can lose your ball on every hole,” said Go, who finished with a 16-under 272 worth P441,500.
Lumbo matched Go’s 71 but his last-hole miscue left him at 284, another encouraging performance for the rising talent who scored his maiden PGT win in dramatic fashion via a five-hole playoff against Russell Bautista at South Pacific last year.
Fidel Concepcion hit five birdies in the last seven holes, including a stirring four-birdie feat from No. 12 to fire a 69 and snatch third place at 288, while Tony Lascuña carded a 70 and tied Rupert Zaragosa and Clyde Mondilla, who bogeyed the last for 71 and 72, respectively, at 289.
Dino Villanueva shot the day’s best 68 to claim seventh place at 291.
Remarkably, Go won it on one of the country’s toughest championship courses without playing a single practice round.
Instead of struggling to familiarize himself with Pinewoods’ demanding mountain terrain, the Cebuano ace produced one of the finest opening rounds in recent PGT memory. He fired a bogey-free 64 highlighted by two eagles and four birdies, instantly turning what many expected to be a survival test into a personal showcase.
That flawless opening salvo proved to be the defining moment of the P2.5-million championship.
While the rest of the elite field wrestled with Pinewoods’ unforgiving slopes, swirling mountain winds and unpredictable conditions, Go saw opportunity where others found trouble. His spectacular start gave him immediate control of the tournament, a grip he never loosened.
He backed up his opening brilliance with a 67 in the second round to stretch his lead to nine strokes over Lumbo at the halfway mark, then effectively removed whatever suspense remained with a gutsy 70 on Moving Day. With no challenger able to mount a serious charge, Go carried an imposing 12-shot cushion into the final round.
