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Hong
Kong—The Filipino par busters, who made the cut in the
UBS Hong Kong Open, set a modest goal: Finish in the
best possible position to retain an exemption card for
the 2008 Asian Tour season.
That’s
what Frankie Miñoza, Antonio Lascuña and
Juvic Pagunsan did Sunday at the close of the 49th
edition of the HK Open, the country’s oldest national
sporting event, cosanctioned by Hong Kong Golf
Association and Asian and European tours.
 Miñoza’s
UBS finish puts him at 17th in the Order of Merit, while
Pagunsan (32nd) and Lascuña (45th) are assured top-60
places as well.
Under
Asian Tour rules, only top 60 placers in UBS Order of
Merit (OM) in the current pool will have exemption for
next year. Players with at least one victory
automatically get two years of tournament exemption.
And with only three events left, it is important to have
more money coming in.
Still
the Philippine’s top player today at 47, Miñoza churned
out two 69s in the first two days then had two roller
coaster even-par rounds of 70 in the third and fourth
rounds for a four-day total of 278 and was the top
Filipino finisher at 40th place with four others.
Miñoza
had a roller coaster in the last day at the par-70
course of the Hong Kong Golf Club. He birdied the
second and fourth holes but bogeys on Nos. 3, 6, 7 and 9
negated the gains in the front nine.
At the
back side, he regained form and uncorked three
consecutive birdies from the 10th hole to go at
one-under heading to the 13th. After routine pars in
the next four, the Filipino ace missed a par-saving putt
for a bogey for a 36-34 card.
“I
cruised along since there’s no more chance of winning
it. I didn’t want to make any mistakes,” said Miñoza,
who earned $13,725 (P.59 million) for an aggregate
$179,347 and safely in 17th in the UBS-OM.
Lascuña
faltered with six bogeys and a lone birdie and ended
with a five-over 75 built around nines of 36-39. With
earlier rounds of 68, 69, and 68, he registered an even
280 and a three-way tie for 47th.
What was
more important for Lascuña was the fact that with the
paycheck of $11,025, the 37-year-old will jumped to 45th
from 53rd in the UBS-OM with total earnings of $90,153.
“Iyan
talaga ang hinahabol ko. At least, maganda-ganda na ang
lugar ko ngayon sa OM,” Lascuña said.
Pagunsan,
too, had a scrambling round, opening with a double bogey
before concluding with two birdies and three birdies for
a three-over 73 and 281 and bunched with several players
at 50th. He received $9,225 (P.39 million) for his feat
and will occupy 32nd in the UBS-OM with $118,452.
Gerald
Rosales, the last player to get through the
eliminations, soared with a seven-over 77 and was tied
for joint 67th. He will definitely rise up in the OM
standings with $81,144 including the $4,612 earned here.
Filipinos who missed the cut pegged at one-under-par 139
were Angelo Que 150 (71-69), Artemio Murakami 147
(74-73) and amateur Dante Becierra 154 (75-79).
Spain’s
Miguel Angel Jimenez, meanwhile, scored an eagle-aided
four-under-par 66 for 265 for the overall championship
here as he sneaked one over the three-day leader Swede
Robert Karlsson who only managed a two-over 72 for 266
and the runner-up honors.
The
biggest drama came on the 18th when Jimenez, who trailed
by four strokes at the start of the last 18, dropped a
shot with a bogey then watched Karlsson limp with a
double-bogey and let the title slip away.
“I feel
so sorry for Robert [Karlsson]. He led all the way
until that last hole miscue. I’m just happy to win it,”
said Jimenez who’ll star for Spain alongside Jose Manuel
Lara for the Omega World Cup at Mission Hills in China
next week. |
