May 1, 2012
Where to begin this story? The last 2 weeks have
been quite eventful. If I may go straight to the highlight, it would be without
a doubt, that magical day on the course on April 19, 2012. It was the second round of the
Philippine Golf Tour event in Baguio’s Camp John Hay golf course. Talk about a sizzling round: 10 birdies
and just one bogey to finish with a 9 under par 59. That was the course record. Three birdies to start off the round and three birdies to
end the round including that memorable final birdie. 15 feet, down-hiller for birdie knowing that it was for a
59. When that went in, what an
absolute rush of emotions that was.
Finding the zone, staying there throughout the round and playing the
closest to what would be described as perfect golf, a cloud 9 feeling. With that round, it propelled me to the
outright lead at -13 and two shots clear of 2nd placer Marvin
Dumandan.
I
knew it would be a battle heading into the final round. First time with the lead but the good
thing was that it wouldn’t be my first time playing in the final pairing as a
pro. The experience from a couple
month ago playing alongside Juvic Pagunsan and Elmer would prove to be valuable
in tackling the final pairing atmosphere once again. Although I did get off to a hot eagle start, I wasn’t quite
able to sustain the momentum as I wound up the day with a 1 over par bagging a
solo 2nd place finish.
Not
much disappointment really. All
smiles and a sense of accomplishment knowing that my game, with the help of
coaches and loved ones, is moving the right direction. Prior to this tournament, my game had
been looking solid but it has become more of a mental challenge. Apart from making a cut and finishing
17th in Splendido, I had missed 3 other cuts on the Asian Tour. Twice missing a cut by a shot and the
other time by two shots. Deep
down, I knew my game was there but I couldn’t ignore the fact that still, they
were missed cuts. But that’s the
beauty of the game. Golf throws
you curveballs and while you want complete control of what happens, you simply
must come to a realization that you must instead accept whatever happens.
I’m
entirely grateful for my best finish so far on the Philippine Golf Tour. A 59, a 2nd place, and to
enjoy Baguio was a week I would not forget. Not much time to relax cuz Sherwood next week for a PGT
major, here we come!
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| The 6+ hour drive |
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| Hole 1 |
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| Pro-Am Partners |
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| Awarding |
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| Nice job Marvin |
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