Three-man race for OOM title up at Valley stop
The Order of Merit (OOM) race for the Philippine Golf Tour (PGT) season that’s about to end is down to practically a three-man fight, with Angelo Que holding a slight lead over Keanu Jahns and Fidel Concepcion having an outside chance heading into the final leg in two weeks at Valley Golf.
Que, the 46-year-old former PH Open champion, is enjoying a rejuvenated season after winning twice already and contending in almost all legs, making P1.561 million thus far, with Jahns, also a two-leg champion, just over P77,000 behind in second.
Concepcion, the Australia-based 31-year-old who broke through at Apo Golf two weeks ago, has P1.250 million in earnings, with only a win at Valley and Que and Jahns failing to make the cut giving him a clear win for a first OOM crown.
Antonio Lascuña, the durable five-time OOM champ, acknowledged the changing of the guards, so to speak, as he is mired at No. 8 after an up-and-down season that had him making just close to P600,000.
“There are a lot of younger, stronger players out there now,” Lascuña, who won the last of those OOMs last year at 54, told the Inquirer in Filipino on Monday after practice at Manila Southwoods. “I sort of know that my time as a dominant player has come. And I have learned to accept that.
“But that doesn’t mean that I am not capable of winning again,” he said with a smile as he now shuttles between the PGT and some senior events. “I feel I still have a couple of good years left where I can win. I just can’t do it all season long like before.”
An interesting race for the 30th spot is also up, as the top 30 will get invites to the rich The Country Club Invitational in February, a P6 million event that always opens up the PGT season, where P1.5 million is awarded to the champion.
Que and Lascuña have won that multiple times, and the key for some is just to get outright slots there before they can even think of winning.
On the bubble this year are three South Koreans and veterans Jonel Ababa, Mars Pucay, Geraldo Rosales and Marvin Dumandan, with all needing strong Valley play from Nov. 18 to have a chance.
