ANGELO QUE was tested from the opening stretch, pressured by a blistering early charge from Aidric Chan and a spirited mid-round assault from Justin Quiban but still came out victorious in the ICTSI Summit Point Championship on Friday in Lipa City.
At 47 and with two decades of professional golf behind him and a career forged through countless battles here and abroad, Que once again showed that experience, composure and sheer resolve can still trump youth and momentum.
Relying on precise ball-striking and crisp iron play, Que closed out with a 70 to outgun Chan by two strokes.
A final-round two-under card left him four strokes short of a four-day streak of 66s, but it was more than enough to secure the championship.
Finishing at 20-under 268, the reigning Philippine Golf Tour Order of Merit champion claimed his 21st career title along with the P440,000 top prize.
‘There was really no pressure today. It was nice playing with Adric and Justin because we’ve known each other for a long time, so it felt just like a practice round,’ Que said. ‘We were talking the whole round and weren’t really trying to compete-we were actually just pushing each other.’
The two-stroke winning margin hardly reflected how effectively Que kept the threats at bay as he never allowed Chan to come within three strokes until No. 17.
Four up with two holes to play, Que gave back two shots on the par-three penultimate hole.
The late blunder from the bunker and missed putts added a touch of drama to what had otherwise been a victory lap, but they barely unsettled the veteran shotmaker’s resolve or poise.
Que calmly matched Chan’s par on the par-four 18th for the win.
‘I was trying to make two more birdies so that I could shoot another 66, but unfortunately, I missed it on the wrong side on the 17th,’ Que said.
Chan closed with a 66 to finish runner-up at 270, while Quiban missed a chance to force a tie for second after bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17-he settled for third at 272 after a 69.
Keanu Jahns shot a 68 to tie Reymon Jaraula, who carded a 70, for fourth at 278 and Kristoffer Arevalo took solo sixth at 279 after a 70, while Fidel Concepcion fired a 66 to join Jeffren Lumbo, who a 68, and Sean Ramos, who turned in a 70, in a three-way tie for seventh at 280.
Asked about his thoughts when Chan repeatedly closed the gap to within three strokes, Que downplayed the threat.
‘That’s still a big gap coming down the stretch, meaning he still needs to make three more birdies to tie me,’ Chan said. ‘If I can just match his birdies, then it won’t be a big concern.’
But the final 18 holes did unfold as a thrilling, high-voltage shootout with Chan blazing to a front-nine 30, Que matching him with a 32 and Quiban staying firmly in the hunt with a 33. All three navigated the opening stretch without a single misstep, setting the stage for a tense duel that seemed destined to go down to the wire.
Only Que had begun the final round with a commanding five-shot advantage over Quiban and six over Chan, who, however, was in no mood to let the leader breathe.
But every time he clawed his way to within three shots, Que seemed to have an answer. Just as the pressure began to mount, the leader would respond with a birdie on the very next hole, restoring his four-shot cushion and keeping Chan at arm’s length.