LIPA CITY – Juvic Pagunsan turned in a second straight 64 and grabbed a two-shot lead over an equally hot-charging Tony Lascuna in the third round of the ICTSI Summit Point World 18 Challenge Friday here.
A crisp approach shot on the par-4 18th set up another birdie chance from six feet which he calmly knocked in to cap a brilliant backside 31 and firm up his lead at 17-under 199 that had appeared a bit shaky after Lascuña turned in his own version of a 33-31 that moved the veteran shotmaker from joint sixth to solo second at 201.
“It was a superb game and I hope I could sustain it to the finish,” said Pagunsan, who rushed to and hugged son PJ after holing out with that birdie feat, his 17th in the last two days marred by just one birdie in a brilliant show of shotmaking, iron game and putting on a well-kept course that features replicas of 18 of the world most renowned golf holes and which he calls home.
American Brett Munson, who started the day ahead by three over Pagunsan and Jhonnel Ababa, bogeyed three of the first four holes at the back and fell with a thud to joint seventh at 205 with Aussie Jack Lane-Weston, who rallied with a 66.
“Unlike in the second round, I had problem with my putter. But it happens in golf and I have to shoot a 64 to win. But of course, it’s quite tough to do it,” said Munson in jest.
Ababa also reeled back with a mediocre 35 start but almost matched Pagunsan’s backside attack with a four-birdie binge from No. 12 then rescued pars in the next two to shoot a 67 for third at 202.
That arranged a perfect all-Pinoy final grouping among Pagunsan, who posted a record four-win-in-row feat to bag this year’s PGT Order of Merit title; Lascuña, the former three-time OOM winner who swept the last two legs of PGT’s milestone 10th season coming off a PGT Asia Taiwan victory last month; and Ababa, the winningest player on PGT Asia with four victories.