Juvic Pagunsan hangs on by 1 shot in TCC golf
STA. ROSA CITY—Juvic Pagunsan birdied three straight holes from No. 14 Saturday to highlight a second consecutive one-under-par 69 that kept him a shot ahead of Elmer Salvador heading into the final round of the rich The Country Club Invitational.
The reigning Asian Tour No. 1, who rallied from an opening hole double bogey 6, posted a 54-hole, 208 aggregate after earlier rounds of 70-69 at the exclusive, windswept TCC layout here.
As usual, Pagunsan refused to talk to the media after the round as he put himself in position towards becoming the second man after Angelo Que to win the P4.5 million event thrice.
Salvador, who also returned a 69, actually took a two-stroke lead after that double bogey by Pagunsan on the opening hole, and was still on top by one after a birdie on the 12th before Pagunsan’s birdie streak to regain control.
The highlight of the 33-year-old Pagunsan’s day came on the 16th, when, with the deft touch of a master, he blasted out for birdie from the right greenside trap.
“I had my chances, but I just couldn’t convert all of them,” the humble Salvador said in Filipino. “But I’m still happy that I have a chance (in the final round) being just one down.”
Salvador converted a 40-foot putt for birdie on the 17th to cap his round.
Carl Santos-Ocampo eagled the par-5 14th to also finish with a 69 and remain in contention, just three strokes behind at 211.
He gunned down a 15-footer set up by a spectacular 3-wood from 250 yards to go three under for the day, but he dropped two shots in the next two holes.
Former champions Cassius Casas and Antonio Lascuña stood at 215 after similar 71s even as the three-peat-seeking Que cracked par for the first time with a 68 to be in a group at 216.
Mars Pucay, the long-hitting veteran, and Rufino Bayron both submitted 72s keep Que company.
Anthony Fernando, Artemio Murakami and the legendary Frankie Miñoza were all nine strokes off at 217 after firing a 68, 72 and 73, respectively, to round out the Top 10.
Former national team mainstay Jessie Balasabas, seeing action in his first TCC Invitational, signed for a quadruple bogey 8 on the short fourth hole for a 79 and 224 overall, 16 strokes behind from just four at the start of the day.
Marvin Dumandan, last year’s second placer to Que, assembled a 70 and is now within 10 strokes off the pace.
The leading scores:
208—J. Pagunsan 70-69-69; 209—E. Salvador 71-69-69; 211—C. Santos-Ocampo 72-70-69; 215—C. Casas 74-70-71, A. Lascuna 73-71-71; 216—A. Que 75-73-68, M. Pucay 74-70-72, R. Bayron 72-72-72; 217—A. Fernando 73-76-68, F. Minoza 73-72-72, A. Murakami 74-70-73.
