Lawrence Celestino withstood a furious rally by Cebuano ace golfer Lloyd Jefferson Go with clutch shots, including a par on the final hole, to finish with a five-over 66 and take the championship in the Philex Northern Luzon Regional Championships at the Baguio Golf and Country Club in Baguio City yesterday.
Celestino was four up at the turn and then birdied the 13th and parred on four of the last five holes to fend off Go and match the latter’s closing score of 66. He finished with with an aggregate score of 194.
Go moved within one at the back twice, the last at No. 17 with a par coupled with Celestino’s bogey. But he went for broke in the final hole and ended up heartbroken with a bogey, finishing with a 196 after a 66.
Gabriel Manotoc, the 15-year-old find who sparked hopes of a breakthrough win in a men’s tournament when he joined Go in second heading to the final 18 holes with two 65s, wavered with three bogeys at the shorter but tougher backside of the BGCC, ending up with a 31 and 67 for third at 197.
Daniella Uy dominated the ladies’ side as she matched par 61 for a 36-hole aggregate of 129 while Felix Pascual also carded a 66 and ran away with the Mid-Amateur crown with a 36-hole total of 132. Fred Puckett likewise cruised to seniors victory with a 136.