SILANG, Cavite–Juvic Pagunsan produced one of his best performances in perhaps one of the toughest conditions he has ever played in, birdieing four straight holes late in the back nine that highlighted a four-under-par 67 on Friday to leave the ICTSI Riviera Classic field eating his dust.
While every man in the talented field was fighting to survive, Pagunsan turned up the heat, signing for seven total birdies for a 54-hole 207 aggregate and a whopping six-stroke lead over Ferdie Aunzo, who fired a 68.
“I still need to play well in the final round, nothing is sure in this golf course,” said Pagunsan as the complex’ Langer layout played double difficult because of the wind and the rain, yielding only two sub-par cards in the third round.
Aunzo found the wet conditions to his liking, producing a gutsy run of pars and birdies on Nos. 12, 14 and 18 from close range.
He came out with the day’s lone bogey-free card but faced too tough a task despite an even 213 total.
Antonio Lascuña, just two off Pagunsan with Japanese Keisuke Takahashi and Dutch Guido Van der Valk after 36 holes, kept Pagunsan in sight with an even par card after 12 holes. But the former three-time PGT Order of Merit winner failed to match Pagunsan’s hot finish and even dropped a stroke on No. 14. He ended up with a 72 and slipped to third at 217.
Takahashi and Van der Valk hobbled with similar 74s and remained tied but now at fourth at 216 with Clyde Mondilla, the reigning Philippine Open champion, also fumbling with a 74 for sixth at 217.