His superb putting gone, the 33-year-old Filipino missed his birdie putts on the two playoff holes—the 18th—and the Spaniard clinched the $1-million top prize with a birdie on the same green where he forged the title playoff with a long putt for par Sunday.
“I got lucky when Juvic missed his birdie putt on the first playoff hole,” said Fernandez-Castaño, who tipped his hat to his challenger and credited him for making the tournament, reduced to 54 holes due to bad weather, an enthralling contest.
Pagunsan, suspended from his country’s golf tour for walking out of the Aboitiz Invitational in Cebu last September, earlier rode a hot putter to rounds of 66-66-67 in Asia’s richest national championship, which was co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tour.
The former caddy from Bacolod was actually the tournament leader after his long birdie on the 18th hole but Fernandez-Castaño tied him with that scrambling par after earlier hitting his drive into the water.
The sudden-death playoff was reset for Monday due to inclement weather.
“Juvic had an amazing tournament and he is a great player,” said Fernandez-Castaño.
“I know him because he was in the heat of the battle when Jose Maria (Lara, also of Spain) won the Hong Kong Open (in 2006, where Pagunsan also finished second). I was watching on television and thought, ‘Wow that boy can play.’”
With his runner-up check, the biggest ever by a Filipino golfer, Pagunsan officially rose to the top of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit with earnings of $721,298.60 with only three events remaining on the 2011 schedule.
“It surprises me because I am at the top now. I almost lost my card this year,” said Pagunsan who leads the second-placed S. S. P. Chowrasia of India by $276,770.10.
Angelo Que wound up as the fourth Asian in the top 20 with a 67. By joining a four-way tie for 19th, Que earned $70,950 and moved up to No. 18 in the OOM with $167,431.
Jay Bayron, who closed with a 77 for 216, earned $8,971, while Elmer Salvador, who finished last at 217 after a 79, received $8, 964.