Eagle keeps Plaphol 5 shots up

LIPA City, Batangas , Philippines  – Thai Chawalit Plaphol came through with an eagle-2 on the par-4 16th as he shot a three-under 69 to keep his five-stroke lead over Tony Lascuña intact in the third round of ICTSI Mount Malarayat Championship at the Mt. Malarayat Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Plaphol, who pulled away from the pack with a course-record tying 64 Thursday, struggled with his form and had a rollercoaster round of three birdies against three bogeys after 12 holes, enabling Lascuña to move within two with a three-under card.

But the 35-year-old Thai banged in back-to-back birdies from No. 13, dropped a stroke on No. 15 before knocking in his wedge shot from 110 yards out for that eagle, giving Plaphol a 35-34 round and a 54-hole aggregate of 18-under 198.

“My approach shots were so-so, except for that second shot on 16,” said Plaphol, a two-time winner on the Asian Tour.

Lascuña failed to hit any birdie after sinking an eight-footer on No. 12, settling for pars and a 69 for a 13-under 203, an impressive number by any standard but proved a little bit higher against Plaphol’s awesome form.

Now, the locals are one in saying it would take a miracle to catch up with the Thai.

“With the way he’s playing, it’s going to be tough for us to catch up,” Lascuña said in Filipino.

Jay Bayron also fired a three-under 69, putting himself again in position to contend, not for the title, but for another runner-up finish in this $50,000 event after turning three straight second-place efforts in the first four legs of the Mercedes-Benz Tour sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

He had a 205, seven shots off Plaphol but just two behind Lascuña.

Obscure Ebarra Quiachon also threatened to post his best-ever finish on the circuit, firing a six-under 66 to seize solo fourth at 206.

Bayron and Lascuña hope to put the pressure on Plaphol early as they join the Thai ace in the championship flight at 9 a.m. today.

Juvic Pagunsan, who ran away with the M-Benz Tour fourth leg in Thailand last week, also bounced back with a five-under 67, tying Thai Atthaphon Prathummanee, who had a 71, amateur Jerson Balasabas, who made a 67, and Ferdie Aunzo, who shot the day’s best of seven-under 65, at 207.

“I’m playing better but you need some sort of a miracle to overcome Plaphol’s lead,” said Pagunsan, who wavered with a 72 in the second round after an opening 68.

Artemio Murakami, winner of the M-Benz Tour’s kickoff leg at Manila Southwoods, matched par 72 and dropped into a tie with Ramil Bisera, firing a 69, at 208.

Balasabas, a veteran of the World Amateurs, was actually on his way to a brilliant round after going six-under after 14 holes in another day of torrid scoring. But he fumbled with a bogey on No. 15, recovered with a birdie on the 17th but bogeyed the tough par-4 18th for the second straight day.