Pastor, Menor surge but Pagunsan, 4 others lurk

ILOILO – They matched outputs for the third straight day, and Spain’s Marcos Pastor and local pride Rene Menor bring their virtual head-to-head duel to a deciding round that however could be anybody’s race.

Pastor birdied the 18th from six feet to cap an eagle-aided 68, the same card dished out by Menor as new leaders emerged in as many days in the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge heading to an unpredictable finish here Saturday.

The duo, who missed the cut last week in Marapara, took charge with 203s but Sydney-based Filipino Fidel Concepcion lurked just behind at 204, also after a 66, while Juvic Pagunsan failed to launch his patented third round charge but still pulled within two at 205 but only after a late charge of three birdies in the last six holes for his own version of a 68.

Reymon Jaraula also fired a 66 and Michael Bibat rebounded to salvage a second straight 70 as they joined the fancied Pagunsan at fourth, making it a six-way battle for the top P550,000 purse in the last of the four-stage Visayan swing of the Philippine Golf Tour put up by ICTSI.

Menor, whose house is located near the 17th hole, flashed his local knowledge of the course he calls home for the third straight day but rued his poor putting, marred by misses from short range on Nos. 3 and 8.

“I could’ve taken the lead if not for those missed putts,” said Menor, whose form took a dip since scoring a breakthrough at PGT Asia in Splendido in 2017.

Pastor’s last-hole feat complemented his other birdie putt on the par-5 14th that checked a rollercoaster round that featured two birdies against two bogeys and an eagle against a double bogey that put the Spaniard to within reach of a dream victory on the Philippine Golf Tour after topping the PGT Q-School (foreign) at Splendido last February.

“I played aggressive and pretty good,” said Pastor, hinting at a closing five-under card to win it tomorrow (today).

But if the first two rounds were any indications, Pastor and Menor, who carded identical 69s and 66s to share the halfway lead, will have to toughen up to foil the expected final round charge by a host of bidders with Concepcion completing an unexpected troika in the championship flight.

Japanese Makoto Iwasaki opened with a 64 but tumbled with 76 and 77 and Thai Kammalas Namuangruk stumbled with a 74 after wresting the halfway lead with 66-68.

But looming large is Pagunsan, who broke a run of pars and a bogey on No. 7 with three birdies in the last six holes, netting him a second straight 68 for joint fourth with Reymon Jaraula (69) and Michael Bibat (70) at 205, just two strokes behind the new joint leaders. The back-to-back winner in Binitin and Marapara said putting will be key to his drive for a third straight crown.

“My putting was no good since the first round so I have to polish my stroke,” said Pagunsan.

Former all-Filipino Philippine Open champion Gerald Rosales also recalled fierce form to fire a bogey-free 66, jumping from joint 24th to a share of seventh at 207 with Art Arbole, who groped for a 71, four shots off the pace in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Namuangruk failed to rebound from a two-over 38 start with three bogeys against a birdie at the back as he limped with a 74 and fell off the leaderboard to a share of ninth at 208 with Ira Alido, who rallied with a 67, Jhonnel Ababa, Anthony Fernando and Colombia’s Mateo Gomez, who all matched par 70s.

The rest bowed out of the title race, including Aussie Tim Stewart, who faltered with a 74 and dropped to a share of 14th at 209 with Cebu leg winner Guido Van der Valk of the Netherlands and rookie pro Rupert Zaragosa, who both struggled with 71s in the event backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.