THERE are close wins and runaway victories.
Either way, there is an attendant drama—and trauma—to it.
Drama characterized by how the win was crafted.
Trauma to those involved aka losers in the failed chase for the crown.
Winners bask in the glory of the moment.
Losers lick their wounds after the fact, sometimes taking an eternity for them to indulge in self-pity.
In every triumph, there are tears behind it—tears of frustration flowing down the cheeks of the vanquished. Sometimes, guilt consumes winners.
But then, in the end, that is sports: There is a winner and a loser as well.
But in every defeat comes life’s lessons worth heeding.
The loser becomes humbled. Humility makes for better persons.
Angelo Que has always been known for his low-key demeanor. I know. I once served as captain of the Philippine squad to the 1998 World Team Golf Championship in Santiago, Chile.
Que was one of my four soldiers (the other three being Luna, Rosales and La’O). Que was the most polite, respectful and humble—traits of a true champion.
OK, Que and Jordan Spieth had just emerged big weekend winners.
Spieth is America’s near-icon golf hero already. But Spieth endeared himself with the world all the more with his birdie-eagle-birdie-birdie-par finish to turn back compatriot Matt Kuchar by three strokes in Sunday’s British Open.
Que had grabbed the limelight on local shores a day before Spieth’s Sunday Theater drama.
I am just glad that Que had won again. My fearless forecast of him when we were in Chile is proving to be true: Someday, he’d be not just a winner but a winner of big tournaments as well.
Que’s 12-shot victory was a record in the ICTSI Classic at Mt. Malarayat in Lipa City, Batangas—more than equaling in prestige Spieth’s wire-to-wire triumph at Royal Birkdale.
It can’t get any better than this, Angel.
THAT’S IT Tony Aldeguer, one of the finest gentlemen Cebu has ever produced, was hurt by my analysis of Mark Magsayo’s first-round stoppage of Daniel Diaz of Nicaragua a while back. I saw the win as a fake—Diaz getting knocked down three times for an automatic TKO win for Magsayo. I may be wrong, telling Recah Trinidad about my opinion that Diaz had taken a dive. Recah had written about it last week in his well-read Inquirer column. It drew fire from Tony, whose famed ALA Promotions promoted the bout and handles Magsayo’s career. As I said in another column, between friends, there is no explanation. Tony will be a friend till the end of time—even if, say, he dumps me for the Maute brothers.