Mars Pucay just 3 off lead in Taipei

TAIPEI—Mars Pucay shot a second straight 1-under-par 71 and moved up to solo third from sixth place after the third round of the $300,000 Yeangder Tournament Players Championship (TPC) on Saturday.

With his earlier rounds of 70-71, Pucay assembled a 54-hole total of 212, just three strokes off Chinese Taipei’s Chan Shih-chang, who held on to the lead with a battling 70.

Pucay had nines of 35-36 to sustain his charge for a maiden Asian Tour title, but the two other Filipinos, Juvic Pagunsan and Elmer Salvador, who survived the halfway cut, lost ground.

Pagunsan totalled 221 (72-74-75) and was in a 13-man tie for 36th. Salvador found himself among the tailenders at 225 (70-78-77).

The 36-hole casualties were Artemio Murakami (72-77), Michael Bibat (76-73), Angelo Que (74-77) and Miguel Tabuena (83-78).

Chan, who shared the overnight lead with Malaysia’s Khor Kheng Hwai, took a two-shot lead over compatriot Lu Wen-teh (71).
Khor played through the pain barrier to post a 74 and secured fourth place at the Linkou International Golf Club.

Pucay parred his opening three holes before making his first birdie on the fourth hole. He continued to make pars on the rest of the holes before reaching the turn in 35.

The Filipino dropped his first shot on the par-four 14th but responded quickly with another birdie on the 15th hole.