October 8, 2010
Day 3 and the final round of the tournament. Its actually our 5th day staying in Bulacan since we arrived on Monday to begin the first of two practice rounds. My early 7:30am tee time meant that we needed to be awake, showered, ready, and packed up by 6:00am. This type of schedule reminded me of my days at Notre Dame. On the final round of every tournament, our coach would tell us to pack our bags up in the morning, along with our travel cases, and store it in the van so once we finished the round, we would go straight to the airport to catch our flight. Packed up and ready to go, we set off for the golf course at about 6:15am. With a quick breakfast of longanisa in the caddy shack, I went straight to the range to get warmed up. As much as you would like every range session to go smooth and perfect, this one wasn’t. A majority of my balls were drawing more than I would like. The good part is, I knew that could be only caused by one thing, that I’m coming too far inside. Adjustment: once I got to the top of the swing, I thought of bringing the club straight down rather than having it drop inside.
Tee off was at 7:30am with Erwin and Benjie Magada, who’s one of the more recognizable names on the pro golf tour. He’s been around for a while, won a bunch of tournaments, and has coached my good friend Jude Eustaquio in his childhood days.
Hole one, par 5, hit a solid drive down the left center leaving about 235 yards to the pin. With a 19 degree hybrid in hand and the out of bounds stake that sits 5 yards from the edge of the left side of the green, I aimed to the greenside bunker on the right. I mean, first hole of the last round, all I was looking for was a good look for birdie. And with the hook tendencies on the range, aiming to the greenside bunker was a conservative play. Sure enough, I pushed about 15 yards right of where I was aiming, ended up catching the bunker, but because of the push, I was on the far right hand side of the bunker, with a downhill lie, 30 yards from the pin with little green to work with. A skull and its OB, a flub and its definitely in the bunker. Before I hit, I got the confidence to step up and hit, it came out perfectly ending up 12 feet from the pin for birdie. The initial read was right edge, up the hill. But I decided on right inside with the thought process, “well what if it doesn’t break, then the ball will just hang out to the right and never go in.” Playing the putt inside the hole, I made a good stroke but guess what, it broke in the end as it glanced the left side. It was a good stroke, but not trusting my initial read cost me. From then on, I told myself, “that’s it. You’re going to keep golf simple, and trust your instincts.” Just as it had worked the past two days.
Hole 2, 417 yard hole, I was once again conservative off the tee as the fairway narrowed as you drove the ball further with hazard left and a fairway bunker right. I hooked my tee shot about 20 yards, but because I elected to play the hybrid, I was just fine on the left edge of the rough. With a front hole location 5 paces on and 5 paces from the right, 170 yards to an elevated green, I took a 6 iron, aimed at the center and held the club open at impact. Result, on line, 15 feet short, uphill birdie putt. Before I hit my putt, my two playing companions were short-sided in the right greenside bunker, that was pretty deep. Benjie went first. Looking at his setup, it was an open faced lob wedge, but the ball was on the back of his stance on his right foot and I thought to myself, how is he going to get this up in the air? Somehow he did and the ball barely cleared the lip, trickled and rolled in the cup for a birdie. Then it was Erwin’s turn, from the same bunker, an exact replica of the first one and the same result! It went in too! Then it was my turn, 15 feet from the hole, I would never expect to give it a ball out to the right because the putt looked straight. What was my cheat sheet? A player had recently putt from my position, leaving the ball’s line of putt as the morning due was still present on the green. A solid putt and the ball broke as expected, in the hole for birdie. Benjie and Erwin cheered as we all gave each other high fives.
Okay, I’m already getting a bit tired of writing at this point. But I’ll finish. Hole 3, 170 yard par 3, pulled a 7 iron that ended up 15 paces on the fringe, hit the first putt too hard since I expected the ball to slow down through the 2 yards of fringe. I left myself with a downhill 5 footer for par which I calmly holed, dead center.
Hole 4, another conservative play off the tee with a 3 wood on the par 4 430 yard hole. By the way, I always had the impression that Filipino pros always hit driver no matter what, and that they lacked any type of course management. This is the impression from playing with a bunch of them. However, I haven’t really played with the good players like I did today and I realized that they weren’t like the stereotypical grip it and rip it type of Pinoy pro I was used to playing with. They actually played the course very methodically, playing different clubs off the tee, which is perhaps why they were also scoring pretty well. Anyway, back to this hole, my 3 wood caught the left center of the fairway. But with 200 yards to the pin, I was blocked off by an overhanging tree. I needed to start it on the right side of the green and draw it back with a 4 iron. I managed to hit a nice draw, a bit too much, but it caught the putting surface, 20 yards from the pin. Faced with an uphill, downhill putt, I let my “natural ability” as Bob Rotella puts it, feel out the speed of the putt. I ended up hitting a good one that had a chance to go in but rolled 5 feet past the hole. Knowing the come-backer, all I needed to do was put a good stroke and I did. Par.
Hole 5, solid tee shot, solid hybrid, PW from 116yards up the hill to a back hole location and putting surface you cannot see from the 3rd shot. I hit a good one, turns out it was pin high, 18 feet from the hole. 2 cups out on the right side and good speed, the putt went in for birdie. 2 under thru 5.
Hole 6, solid drive on the 390 yard hole, left with 92 yards, lob wedge actually flew past the hole 25 feet. Downhill putt, I gave it a chance to go in, trickled 5 feet past the hole. Gave it right inside. It was a miss read, because the ball stayed straight but went in anyway on the right center for par.
Hole 7, struck a solid 7 iron from 173 yards to 5 feet. The whole crowd watching the final group seemed to turn around to watch us play since hole 4 was right beside our hole, hole 7. Straight putt was my read, I hit it firm but the ball still dove left at the end, lipped around the hole 360 degrees and stuck its tongue right at me. I heard the crowd give a loud deep “ooooooo” sound. But I thought, “oh well, I was in the right mindset and hit a good putt.” Tapped in for par and walked off the green as if nothing crazy happened.
Hole 8, Because I never got too emotional over that putt, almost forgetting about it right the instant I left that green, I believe it helped me hit a solid drive over the bunker in the fairway that is only 15 yards wide at that point with hazard on the right and a flowerbed on the left. It was a gamble that my other playing partners did not take. They ended up leaving themselves with 210 yards to a tucked hole location while I was simply 135 yards from the pin. From there, a pitching wedge to about 20 feet and a 2 putt par.
Hole 9, drove it to the right rough, just about a foot from falling into the bunker. The lie wasn’t good from 175, a downhill, bare type of rough, sandy under the ball. Chucked a 7 iron the bunker, plugged on the lip. With 25 yards to go, I muscled it with a pitching wedge, rolled up to the tier where the pin was, then rolled back 30 feet away. Judged the par putt well to put it in tap in range for bogey.
Hole 10, I hit a big drive down the left on a dogleg left hole. I thought it had cleared the bunker, but it didn’t. The carry was 290yards, too much. 140 yards, downwind, I tried to nip a 9 iron, I hit it semi fat, landing short 15 paces on the fringe. Another putt that I used more of my feel than my “analytical brain”, I stroked the putt that had 5 feet of break and two tiers and fringe to go through, ended up a foot away for a tap in par.
Hole 11, dog leg right, I hung my drive out to the right, as it ended up catching the fairway bunker. With only 93 yards left and a downhill lie off the soft sand, I elected to play a pitching wedge and hit a semi half ball shot to ensure contact. The ball scooted right close to the bunker, but pin high. With about 15 yards and an awkward ball above my feet stance, I chipped the ball a bit to firmly, going past the hole 9 feet. Left edge putt that had perfect speed, in the hole for par.
Hole 12, I hit a perfect 6 iron from 185 yards to about 12 feet. Uphill 12 footer with a right edge allowance, in the hole for birdie, 2 under thru 12.
Hole 13, I hit a drive the same length as Benjie on this par 5. We had about 245 to the pin, about 230yards to carry the creek in front of the green and with water guarding the right side of the green. I watched him pull a 3 wood and knock it on the green to 15 feet for eagle. Gave him the nod and said good shot. But without hesitation, I took the 7 iron out of the bag and stuck with my game plan. I stroked it well leaving myself with 82 yards to the pin. A smooth lob wedge, I hit it to 18 feet on line past the pin. With a cup outside the right, I gave it a good stroke and it again went in the hole for birdie. 3 under through 13. My Zach Johnson style of play on the par 5’s was one of the keys to success this week. I played the tricky par 5’s bogey free, 7 under par.
Hole 14, creek on the right side of this 440 yard hole, I aimed for the left edge of the fairway, but trying to hit it too hard, I hooked it left. With 190yards left on my second shot, I had to hit it over a tree and onto the green with a pin on the back right. Feeling like it wasn’t enough club, I muscled a 6 iron from the rough. The ball jumped off the lie and landed over the pin, over the back bunker, and ended up going down the hill, settling 5 yards from the water that isn’t even in play, 40 yards away from the pin. With a difficult lie off the bare Bermuda rough plus soft mushy area, and the back greenside bunker to carry, I wanted to make sure to get it on the green. I took a full swing, and hoped for the best that the ball would pop out well. Good thing I caught it perfectly, not too heavy, but I played it like a bunker shot because the ground was so soft that I took some mud from it. With no spin, the ball hit pin high and settled 35 feet away on the lower tier. Objective again, was to try to make it. The ball had a good chance, I played the speed perfectly and settled to about a foot past the hole. If there are good bogeys, this was one of them. 2 under through 14.
Hole 15, Par 5. Solid drive, solid 3 wood to clear the bunkers. Left myself with 52 yards to the upper tier back pin. I kinda babied my pitch. It got up to the correct tier but it was about 18 feet short of the pin. Fortunately, Benjie was about an inch further away on the same line. He hit a nice putt that went in the hole. That easily gave me the line and the correct picture. Right inside up the hill. When I hit the putt, I was walking to the hole as the ball was halfway to the hole. I knew it was in. And it went in dead center. Claps followed. 3 under for the round and 5 under for the tournament.
Hole 16, approaching the long 210 yard par 3, up the hill. I blocked a three iron right into the greenside bunker leaving myself approximately 25 yards from the hole. With an uphill lie, I elected to play the shot with a pitching wedge to have the ball release to the hole. However, I caught the shot too heavy leaving myself with about 30 feet for par. I snuck inside Erwin’s ball on the same line. He putted first and narrowly missed. Mine, I basically hit it on the same line with a bit more speed and the ball dropped in again. Saved par, two to play.
Hole 17, with a bit of indecision off the tee to hit the driver over the corner or to play the conservative line, I chose to play a 4 iron off the tee. That left me with 145 yards to the hole to a left pin tucked close to the water. Aiming for the middle of the green, I came out of the shot and leaked it out right. The chip, about 20 yards, I hit it the way I wanted but it didn’t release like I wanted to. With an 8 footer for par, I putt didn’t break and went passed 4 feet. I made the come-backer for bogey.
Hole 18, I hit a good drive down the right, but it went through the fairway in the deep rough. 125 yards remaining, I played a pitching wedge but because the rough grabbed the club on impact, it opened the face up, shot right and bounced in the hazard. Good thing I could play it but the best I could do was advance it a couple feet in front of me. 15 yards left from the rough, I played a 60 degree, popped it out to about 5 feet for bogey. As much as the last couple holes haven’t gone my way, I still remained calm. I buried that downhill left to right 5 footer dead center for a bogey save and a 1 under 71. So that’s the recap folks!
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| Antonio Lascuna in black and Marvin Dumandan in orange went in a playoff at -10. Eventual winner was Marvin. |
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| Last hole of the tournament |
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| Final scores. |
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