Pagunsans grab 6-shot lead

SILANG, Cavite — Juanito and Juvic Pagunsan yesterday frolicked on a sunny and windless day, turning in a one-under-par 70 to take a cozy six-stroke lead going into the final round of the P1-million U-Bix Riviera Pro-Am Golf Championship at the Langer course here.

The father-and-son tandem, a stroke off the leaders at the start of the day, went home with a smile as they became the first and only pair so far in the tournament to break par at the long and winding course. In the first two days, there was an abundance of scores by the 80s and even a handful of over a hundred.

Juanito, still a force to reckon with at 48, and Juvic, carrying a lot of promise at 23, birdied the fourth, 15th and 16th from at least six feet to cushion bogeys on the fifth and ninth holes. With a three-day total of 221, they are six up over the Noli Kempis-Erwin Vinluan (74) and Edgar Ababa-Marvin Dumandan (77) pairs.

"Focus lang bukas. Focus lang sa greens," said Juvic, the reigning SEA Games individual gold medalist who continued to amaze his father with his powerful drives, a steady iron game and a soft touch on the green. "Sa tingin ko okay na ang chances namin bukas."

The three pairs will tee off today at 10:40 a.m. for 20th of a total of 60 flights with the Pagunsans setting their sights on the P200,000 top purse. Yesterday, the leaders teed off a little past noon and holed out more than five hours later when darkness was starting to set in.

Kempis and Vinluan, who jumped from fourth to second, birdied the second and 10 holes against a double-bogey on the first and bogeys on the ninth, 11th and 12th while Ababa and Dumandan, the second-round leaders, struggled with a 77 after bogeying the first three holes.

Mars Pucay and his amateur partner Jose Roy III dropped from solo third to a tie for fifth with Gerald Rosales and Danny Pizzaro at 231 after an 80. In third at 229 were Armando Eso and Neil Catalan (73) and tied for fourth at 230 were Felix Fernando with Marlon Dizon (71) and Vivencio Lascuna with Jay Bayron (75).

Gerard Cantada and Tony Boy Lopez, who shared the first-round lead with Wendy Superal and Jerome Delariarte after a steady 73, continued to skid, submitting an 83 a day after hitting an 84. Cantada and Lopez are 19 strokes off the pace at 240, good for a tie with Rey Janaya and Angelo Que (78).

Top pros who continued to struggle in the one-ball, twosome event first played at Ft. Bonifacio more than 30 years ago were Mario Siodina with Iggy Clavecilla (81-2390, Richard Sinfuego with Felix Yulo (80-241), Robert Pactolerin with Jackie Uchida (80-242), and Cassius Casas with Alex Ignacio (80-244).