Henson grabs 2-shot lead

Manila, Philippines - Berry Henson came out a bit better than Jay Bayron in a virtual day of survival at the exacting finishing holes of Wack Wack’s East Course that he likened to Manny Pacquiao for its toughness, carding a plucky one-under 71 to seize control in the third round of the $300,000 ICTSI-Philippine Open yesterday.

Henson fought back from as many as three holes down to topple Bayron, who had a 74, and put himself on top of the leaderboard with a six-under 210, two shots clear of the Filipino bet and South African Jbe Kruger, who made a 73 – a lead that could mean nothing on a course that continued to bedevil the field with its toughness and testy pin placements.

“My game is feeling really sharp and I feel like I’m fighting against Manny Pacquiao (course) right now,” said Henson, who also battled through dehydration in the last four holes. “You can’t go for the KO but need to box it around.”

“I really had it going after my birdie on 13 but started feeling dehydrated and dizzy and made a couple of stumbles coming in,” added Henson.

In truth, Henson was the lone player among the surviving field who managed to keep a run of under par scores, that included a 69 and a 70.

Henson birdied three of the first 13 holes that cushioned the impact of a faltering finish – two bogeys in last four holes – that virtually became the rule rather than exception on a layout that bared its fangs to separate the contenders from mere pretenders.

“It (the course) played tough out there,” said Henson. “The pins were in locations where you could easily get the ball in bad spots. You could hit a good shot and have a really difficult putt.”

Bayron could best describe the layout’s tough surface as he made back-to-back three-putt bogeys from No. 13, putting to naught an impressive three-birdie binge from No. 4 that shoved him to the solo lead then yielding it with bogeys in the last two holes.

“I think I’m more comfortable being the chaser than being chased,” said Bayron in Filipino. The reigning Order of Merit champion on the ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour, whose back-to-back 69s sparked hopes for a big Open weekend, had a 212 and said a two-stroke deficit is nothing on a course like Wack Wack’s East.

The top four players after 54 holes combined for seven bogeys in the last five holes with all dropping a shot on the tough par-4 18th although Henson came out of another sweltering day almost unscathed with that 71.

Bayron and Kruger stumbled to their first over-par rounds of 74 and 73, respectively, four ahead of five others who put in identical 214 aggregates heading into the final 18 holes of the seventh leg of the Asian Tour presented by ICTSI.

Kruger, coming off a joint seventh place finish in the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea last week, pressed his bid with a 35 at the turn but bogeyed Nos. 10 and 11, hit a birdie on No. 13 but holed out with another bogey for that 73.

Mars Pucay turned in a quiet 72 in a round that featured three birdies against the same number of bogeys as the veteran Asian Tour campaigner led the 214 scorers, who included former champion Wang Ter-chang of Taiwan (73) and the fancied Thailand troika of Chapchai Nirat (71), Prom Meesawat (72) and Pariya Junhasavasdikul, who looked headed for a fiery windup after birdying Nos. 16 and 17, only to drop a shot on the 18th.

Juvic Pagunsan best typified the contenders’ backside ordeal when after shooting a three-under with three holes to go, the ace Filipino shotmaker wound up with one-over par 73 instead, fumbling with back-to-back bogeys from No. 16 before holing out with a double-bogey 6.

From as high as No. 3, Pagunsan tumbled down to joint 10th at 215, dropping five shots off the pace in the company of Digvijay Singh of India (73), Thai Kwanchai tannin (72) and Rai, who bowed out early with a 39 before ending up with a 77.

Angelo Que, winner here in 2008, bowed out of contention with a 75 and hardly moved to joint 38th with a 221 while two-time champion Frankie Miñoza also made a 75 for a share of 51st at 223.

Rufino Bayron matched par 72 for joint 17th at 217, Elmer Salvador, winner at 2009 at Mt. Malarayat, fired a 71 for a share of 21st at 218 while Tony Lascuna also hobbled with a 75 for joint 27th at 219.

The event is presented by the world’s leading port operator International Container Terminal Services, Inc coming in as title sponsor. The other backers of the tournament, held under the auspices of the National Golf Association, are San Miguel Corp., Globe Telecom, Lexus, HSBC, Splash Corporation and Ayala Land Premier with Srixon, Ricoh, BlackBerry, Inetol, Motorola, Label 5 and Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria as supporters.

Scores after 54 holes

210 - B. Henson (USA) 69-70-71

212 - J. Bayron 69-69-74, J. Kruger (RSA) 71-68-73

214 - P. Junhasavasdikul (THA) 71-72-71, C. Nirat (THA) 72-71-71, P. Meesawat (THA) 70-72-72, M. Pucay 69-73-72, T. Wang (TPE) 69-72-73

215 - K. Tannin (THA) 73-70-72, J. Pagunsan 73-69-73, D. Singh (IND) 70-72-73, H. Rai (IND) 68-70-77

216 - B. Smith (AUS) 72-76-68, T. Sriroj (THA) 71-73-72, M. Hsu (TPE) 74-70-72, L. Lee (BRA) 72-70-74

217 - Z. Moe (MYA) 74-72-71, W. Lin (TPE) 71-75-71, R. Bayron 76-69-72, P. Karmis (RSA) 69-73-75

218 - P. Swangarunporn (THA) 73-74-71, T. Khrongpha (THA) 69-79-71, E. Salvador 73-74-71, A. Prathummanee (THA) 74-72-72, T. Chuayprakong (THA) 72-72-74, D. Kataoka (JPN) 70-69-79

219 - S. Othman (MAS) 73-73-73, S. Singh (IND) 71-74-74, A. Lascuna 72-72-75, N. Turner (IRL) 72-72-75, N. Tantinopakhul (THA) 72-71-76, S. Baek (KOR) 73-69-77

220 - P. Muenlek (THA) 73-75-72, J. Moore (USA) 74-73-73, A. Groom (AUS) 72-72-76, D. Beck(AUS) 71-72-77, P. Pittayarat (THA) 71-69-80