FORMER Bantayan vice mayor Chad Cañares won his first major golf trophy less than two years after picking up the game as he bagged the overall gross title in Division C of the Cebu Landmasters Golf Cup at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club on July 21 to 24.
Cañares, who was named one of the 25 greatest players of the Sacred Heart Ateneo Alumni Basketball Athletic Association in 2022, scored 47 over two days after hitting an impressive 28 in Day 2 to finish at joint first with Eldrick Tan. Willy Go, who led round 1 afterscoring 24, finished third at 46, while James Ugarte and Chuck Barandog were joint fourth at 43.
“It was really unexpected,” said Cañares, who learned of his victory when he arrived in Cebu.
It was Cañares fifth trophy but first major victory since he started golf in late 2022 after posting podium finishes in Division C of Swing for a Cause, the Association of Structural Engineers of the Philippines and in the member-guest tournament of the Club Filipino de Cebu.
The last tournament was particularly special for Cañares as it was the day his mother fell ill. After a bad first day, he told his partner that they’ll just pray that they’ll have a better round the next day.
And they did.
“It was an unbelievable experience. I just kept on praying before a shot that ‘this one is for my mommy Lord.’ Then I’d make a good approach or putt,” said Cañares, who shared he got emotional after the round.
Meanwhile, Cañares, who also dabbled in motocross and boxing, said that his victory in Danao, which was a World Amateur Golfers championship-sanctioned event, meant he has qualified for the national qualifiers.
“I’m really going to prepare for that one because I want to win that one,” he said.