Silang, Cavite — Local ace Antonio Lascuña will be tested early as he goes up against Brett Munson and Thai Pavin Tangkamolprasert in one of the featured flights in today’s kickoff of the Asian Development Tour’s ICTSI Riviera Class at Langer course here.

Lascuña, who firmed up his bid for a third straight Order of Merit crown on the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour with a victory at Valley early this month, drew two of the top five players in the current ADT OOM ranking, thus guaranteeing an early shootout among the fancied players in the $60,000 event serving as the sixth leg of the ADT, the farm circuit of the Asian Tour.

“I’ve been playing well the last three tournaments and I’m sure that will help in my campaign here at Riviera,” said Lascuña, referring to his victory at ICTSI Valley Challenge and a joint runner-up finish at the Philippine Open at Wack Wack two weeks ago.

“I just ran out of holes at Wack Wack but I feel confident about my (title) chances here,” added Lascuna, who also had an impressive stint on the Asian Tour last month, including a joint 11th place effort at The Championship in Singapore.

Ranged against Munson and Tangkamolprasert in the 7 a.m. flight on No. 10, the ace Davaoeño shotmaker hopes to come out strong and build some kind of momentum and confidence needed on a course as demanding as Langer.

“I’ll try my best to hold my own against these two players,” said Lascuna, referring to the challenging par-71 layout, which varies in character in every swirl of the wind.

Save for some par-5 holes, the long hitters do not necessarily hold an advantage at the tight, ravine-laced Langer layout, which punishes wayward shots and reward those with accurate ones, thus giving premium on strategy rather than power.

Munson, 28, won the ADT second leg in Malaysia last March and is expected to figure prominently in the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

Scott, needing a top-13 finish to stay in the number one spot he took last week, carded a four-under-par 66 for a nine-under total to tie with Dufner.
The pair traded pars at the first play-off hole before a lengthy birdie putt from Scott extended the contest.
A second birdie for Australian Scott then brought the 33-year-old victory.

The 2013 Masters champion had been under pressure for the top spot from reigning European number one Henrik Stenson after the Swede finished tied seventh at Wentworth's PGA Championship.
"It's a new experience. It was certainly on my mind," Scott said about being number one. "I was having to speak about it a lot this week, leading up to teeing off - and maybe added a little pressure for myself, trying to play like a number one.
"But I think the important thing was I realised that it didn't mean playing perfect, and I certainly didn't play perfect all week. I made a few errors."
Dufner, who won last year's US PGA Championship, took the event at Forth Worth to a play-off after a 25-foot putt on the 72nd hole, but saw a 40-footer slide past the cup after the pair played the 18th again.
After birdies on the second play-off hole, Scott then showed the greater composure at the third by draining his putt from 14 feet for his 11th PGA Tour triumph and a career sweep of all four tournaments in Texas.
"The Texas Slam - that's a good slam to start with," he said. "I'll see if I can find some kind of other slam eventually in my career."
The victory means that Scott will be among the favourites when the US Open begins at Pinehurst, North Carolina on 12 June.

An early shootout among the best in the land kicks off The Duel 3 – North vs South showdown today (Wednesday, May 21) with skippers of both teams stressing the need for a strong start for the momentum and the confidence heading to the deciding singles.

But seizing control early doesn’t assure of a victory in this unique team match play as what transpired in the first two editions of local version’s Ryder Cup where Team North led in the first two days of fourballs and foursomes, only to yield in the singles which the South squad dominated to clinch the inaugural crown in 2012.

It was more of the same last year, but it was the Northerners who came out triumphant in the singles after trailing in the best-ball and alternate shot format of the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

“Our team is very balanced and eager to make up for last year’s loss. We need a strong start and with luck on our side we have a very good chance of taking it back,” said Team South skipper Jerome Delariarte during yesterday’s pro-am tournament where the pros teamed up with their amateur partners and guests from the event’s chief backer International Container Terminal Services, Inc. and Nike Golf, Pacsports, Srixon, Callaway, Sharp, FootJoy, Mizuno, Callaway and Custom Clubmakers with Balls, ABS-CBN Sports+Action and Inquirer Golf as media partners.

Meanwhile, Team North swept the pro-am tournament with Randy Garalde and amateur partners Junia Gabasa, Joaquin Velez and Ace Serafin pooling a 53 to edge Angelo Que, Masatsugu Ochiai, Tadashi Ochiai and Tatsu Ochiai, who assembled a 54.

With reigning back-to-back ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion Tony Lascuna and fellow Davaeono aces Elmer Salvador, Jay Bayron, Cassius Casas, Mhark Fernando, Jhonnel Ababa, Elmer Saban and Marvin Dumandan spearheading the team, the Southerners appear to be the stronger team on paper what with ace Frankie Minoza and fellow Del Monte shotmaker Clyde Mondilla and Cebuano Charles Hong backstopping the squad.

“Everyone says we have the strong team but anything can happen in this format of team match play and last years loss is the evidence of that,” added Delariarte.

But Team North also boasts of a slew of talented shotmakers, including three-time Asian Tour leg winner Angelo Que and young gun Miguel Tabuena with with Carl Santos-Ocampo, Michael Bibat, Mars Pucay, Edward Reyes, Gerald Rosales, Benjie Magada, Jun Bernis, Randy Garalde, James Ryan Lam and ICTSI John Hay winner Jun Rates completing the squad.

Even Hechanova is convinced Team South has the edge in manpower and talent with the par-72 layout also expected to challenge the elite field with its dry fairways due to lack of rain and hard greens.

The four fourball (best-ball) matches kick off hostilities at 8 a.m with the foursomes (alternate shot) to be played in the afternoon. The event will switch formats tomorrow with the deciding 12 singles matches set Friday.

The Duel 3 also serves as a break for the pros after five legs of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour with two Asian Development Tour events lined up on May 28-31 and June 4-7 at Riviera and Orchard, respectively.

Lucy Li sinks her putt on the 18th hole during the National Finals of the 2014 Drive,

Chip and Putt Championships at Augusta National Golf Club.

Associated Press | Published: Tuesday, May 20, 2014 | 02:20:08 AM    

Read more: http://www.golf.com/ap-news/lucy-li-11-youngest-qualifier-womens-open#ixzz32JNMRFQ7

Lucy Li has become the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women's Open by winning the sectional qualifier at Half Moon Bay in California.

The 11-year-old Li shot rounds of 74-68 on the par-72 Old Course on Monday. She will surpass Lexi Thompson as the youngest qualifier in the U.S. Women's Open, which is June 19-22 at Pinehurst No. 2. Thompson was 12 in the 2007 Open.

Beverly Klass played the 1967 Open when she was 10. There was no qualifying.

Li, of Redwood Shores, California, already has a big win on her resume. She captured the girls 10-11 division at the inaugural Drive, Chip and Putt contest at Augusta that preceded the Masters this year. She beat second-place qualifier Kathleen Scavo by seven strokes at Half Moon Bay.

Read more: http://www.golf.com/ap-news/lucy-li-11-youngest-qualifier-womens-open#ixzz32JOlo6uN

Jobim Carlos and Rico Hoey, mainstays of the Philippine squad that won the Putra Cup last year, have secured berths in the final phase of the US Open qualifying after strong performances in the sectional events.

Carlos, the MVP Sports Foundation scholar at the University of San Francisco, fired a two-under-par 68 at the Pasatiempo Golf Club in San Francisco to finish second to earn his spot to the June 2 event set at Lake Merced and Olympia Golf Clubs.

Hoey, who migrated to the United States when he was five and returned to spark a 22-stroke victory in the Putra Cup at Sherwood Hills last July, booked one of two spots in the Bermuda Dunes Golf Club qualifier with a one-over-par 73.

Both are being supported by the MVPSF, whose long-term plan is to have a Filipino golfer compete in the Rio Olympics.

“The MVP Sports Foundation is very happy with the progress and development of Jobim,” said MVPSF president Al Panlilio.