The consistency and drive with which the 54-year-old Antonio Lascuña played with in the just-ended season of the ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour was rewarded after he clinched his fifth Order of Merit (OOM) title in one of the tightest ever races on the local tour.

With a leg victory and practically being in contention in all of the other nine legs, the Manila Southwoods-based Lascuña edged out another grizzled veteran in Angelo Que to add yet another achievement to one of the most remarkable and enduring pro careers in the country.

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“I guess it’s all about the desire to be a better player that I was in the last tournament,” Lascuña told the Inquirer in Filipino on Monday after the money earnings for the year were tallied. “Of course, I have gotten older, but I don’t let that stop me from being the best that I can be.”

Lascuña, who won his fifth OOM 12 years after his first, is a real workhorse, seen everyday without fail at the Southwoods driving range either teaching kids, fellow pros and older players or refining his game.

With earnings of just over P1.44 million on the tour this season, and a P1.5 bounty for winning the lucrative The Country Club (TCC) Invitational last February, Lascuña certainly hasn’t shown signs of slowing down at his age.

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“I guess I have been very lucky to still be playing this well at this age,” he said. “But I believe that you can help yourself get lucky by putting in the work everyday. No excuses, because if you take it easy, a lot of the other players, especially the younger ones, are there waiting to take your place.”

His joint second place finish behind godson Rupert Zaragosa at the rain-shortened Negros Occidental stop last Friday clinched the title over Que, who finished a rung behind and was just a few thousand pesos behind in the money race.

There were no two-time champions in the 10-leg circuit this season, downplaying how balanced the field is. A match play championship is slated next month also at the windswept TCC.

“I also have that desire to win every tournament I play,” Lascuña explained “I know that won’t happen, but that’s the mindset and it has helped me throughout my career.” INQ