Birdie blitz gives Pucay 2-shot lead

CAGAYAN DE ORO — Mars Pucay stepped closer to becoming the season’s first back-to-back winner after he riddled the front nine with five birdies en route to a four-under-par 68 yesterday and a two-stroke lead going into the final round of the First Gentleman’s Professional Golf Circuit eighth leg.

Boosted by a high level of confidence in putting over the tricky greens Pueblo de Oro course, Pucay capped his front nine rampage with a 30-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole and made no major slips on the way back to emerge as the fifth player to occupy the top spot.

Pucay’s 209 aggregate for 54 holes had him bumping a man racing against time, Mario Siodina, off the lead in the tourney bankrolled by First Gentleman Mike Arroyo and San Miguel Beer with WG&A Super Ferry as the official carrier.

The 54-year-old Siodina, who was all alone in second place at 211 after rallying to shoot a 71, is aiming to become the oldest player to win on the local tour, the revival of which is being organized by the Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines, Inc.

Not too far behind were the trio of Cassius Casas, Robert Pactolerin and Eddie Bagtas all of whom have the game to steal the show from Pucay, last week’s winner at Rancho Palos Verdes in Davao.

Out to make up for a major disappointment in his Davao hometown where he yielded the crown to Pucay with a last-hole double bogey, Cassius Casas struck a glorious 6-iron approach from 205 yards on the 16th that set him up for an easy eagle from three feet and his own 68.

Pactolerin, never heard of since the tour went to the south last year, re-entered the title scene with a 69 bolstering his chances of joining the tour’s winner roster. Bagtas, winless for almost a decade now, also shot a 69.

Rey Pagunsan, Siodina’s co-leader in the third round, dropped to solo sixth at 214 after a 74.

Benjie Magada (72-215) can still pull off a third leg victory. Although he will be staring at a six-shot deficit, the Order of Merit leader will be taking his own sweet time minding his game playing in the flight behind the leaders.

Pucay said that last week’s incident where someone else lost it and had him becoming the beneficiary has given him food for thought.

"This is sometimes a crazy game. After what happened last week, I need to take it one shot at a time tomorrow and execute it the best way possible," said the Mizuno pro.

He opened the round with a bogey but he got back quickly with back-to-back birdies from the second, ending the front nine with a birdie-par-birdie-birdie blitz.

Siodina’s round was the opposite as he hit the turn with a 36 after driving to the water hazard on the ninth for a double-bogey. He rallied with a 33 counting his birdies on the 10th, 11th and 14th.

"Sa putting pa rin magkakatalo yan bukas, tayo naman eh laban lang," said Siodina, who is preparing for what could be his final crack at the US Senior Tour Qualifying.