BACOLOD City, Philippines—No caddy? No problem for Juvic Pagunsan.
Carrying his bag after just seven holes, Pagunsan attacked the front nine with reckless abandon to churn out a three-under-par 67 and maintain a one-stroke lead over Antonio Lascuña going into the final round of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic.
After dispatching his caddy on the 16th hole over arguments on breaks, Pagunsan made the turn at 37 before playing his final nine—the front—in 30 after a string of four straight birds from No. 4 for a 133 aggregate over the short Marapara layout that was playing tough as nails on the field.
The onslaught actually started on No. 1 where he, for the second straight day, elected to hit driver and almost drove the green from 328 yards.
Pagunsan became so focused that there was no letup from there. After narrowly missing another birdie on the second, he used his driver to great effect to have sand wedge second shots and put them close to the holes.
The Order of Merit leader who is seeking to win a fourth leg in five all-Filipino events of the circuit, though, never got into a talking mood and left immediately after his round.
Lascuña returned a second straight 67 to remain a shot behind even as rookie pro Mark Fernando also smoked the first nine with his version of a 30 to vault into contention with a 66 leaving him just three behind.
Pagunsan, Lascuña and Fernando will constitute the final group, with Lascuña hoping for a repeat of a 2008 sudden death victory over Pagunsan at Valley to finally win on the ICTSI Tour.
“I’m on target again (to finally win),” Lascuña said after putting himself in contention once again with four birdies against a bogey on No. 17, when he failed to rescue par from the greenside trap. “I hope that this tournament is it.”
Robert Pactolerin, now 50, fired another 69 for 138, two shots ahead of Richard Sinfuego, Mars Pucay and Anthony Fernando, who submitted 69, 71 and 72, respectively.
Jun Bernis, the former PH Am and DHL Am champ still looking for a breakthrough pro victory, rebounded from an opening 75 with the day’s other 66 to be at 141, tied with former PH Open champion Artemio Murakami, who fired a 69, and Marvin Dumandan and Gene Bondoc, who submitted a 72 and 70, respectively.
Going into the final round, only four players are under par and three are nursing level cards, proving that even at just close to 6,200 yards, the testy layout can wreak havoc even on the best players of the tour.
Former Philippine Open champion Elmer Salvador fired another 71 to be nine down, while Ferdie Aunzo, the ex-PH team spearhead, was at 143 after a 72.
An eight-over 148 made it to the final round with former PH Open winner Cassius Casas and Antonio Asistio missing the cut. Casas couldn’t undo the damage of an opening 79 and tallied 150 despite a 71, while Asistio ballooned to a 78 for 152.
THE LEADING SCORES:
133—J. Pagunsan 66-67; 134—A. Lascuña 67-67; 136—70-66; 138—Rob. Pactolerin 71-71; 140—R. Sinfuego 71-69, M. Pucay 69-71, A. Fernando 68-72; 141—J. Bernis 75-66, A. Murakami 72-69, M. Dumandan 71-70, G. Bondoc 69-71; 142—E. Salvador 71-71, J. Balasabas 71-71, C. Santos-Ocampo 70-72, R. Cuello 70-72, R. Ortega 70-72; 143—R. Garalde 75-68, C. Dulay (Am) 75-68, M. Bibat 74-69, A. Cruz 72-71, R. Ardimer 71-72, F. Aunzo 71-72; 144—J. Ababa 73-71.