Pactolerin defies time, reigns again

BACOLOD, Philippines  – Robert Pactolerin turned in a vintage performance in regulation then used his experience to outlast Tony Lascuña on the fourth playoff hole on No. 18 and clinch the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic championship with a birdie before a big Friday crowd at the Negros Occidental Golf and Country Club here yesterday.

Pactolerin fought back from four strokes down to shoot a bogey-free three-under 67 and gain a rare crack at the crown at five-under 205, the same output put in by Lascuña who recovered from a disastrous frontside stint of 38 with two birdies at the back to salvage a 71.

They parred the par-5, 618-yard No. 18 twice in the playoff then birdied the same hole the third time, and fourth in the day, before Pactolerin set up another birdie chance from eight feet from a superb approach shot for the clincher, ending a long drawn out battle for the top P200,000 purse in this sixth leg of the 17-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Lascuña missed extending the playoff with a flubbed birdie try from 12 feet.

The win also ended a long wait for the former Philippine Open and Masters champion, who went on a slump in a 30-month stretch after winning the ICTSI-Sherwood crown in 2008 when the International Container Terminal Services, Inc. made a soft-launch of the circuit.

It also secured the win for a Negrense after the fancied one bombed out in a rare final round meltdown.

It’s worth the wait and a well-deserved win for Pactolerin, who celebrated his golden year last July 3 and proved that he still has got what it takes to win.

“Meron pa (I still have the game). I always believe that I can still win for as long as I keep myself in shape. All you need is discipline,” said Pactolerin, who also missed six cuts this year – misfortunes that only strengthened his iron will to win.

While Pactolerin finally snapped a title drought that started after he won the ICTSI Sherwood crown in 2008, Lascuña extended his title slump and playoff woes as he also lost in a three-man sudden death in last year’s ICTSI Orchard Championship.

“It’s okay, that’s golf. It’s still not my time,” said Lascuña in Filipino. He settled for P120,000.

Juvic Pagunsan, who had lived up to the hype in the first two days, collapsed after a solid start, dropping four strokes at the back and blowing away his bid for a fourth title with a 73.

He wound up third at 206 in a tie with former national team spearhead Mhark Fernando, who matched par 70, and like in the second round, Pagunsan quickly left as soon as he turned in his scorecard.

This time, nobody seemed to care.

For the day belonged to Pactolerin and Lascuña – the former coming out of nowhere to contend for the crown for the first time in a long, long while and the latter fighting back from an awful start to gain another shot at the championship.

Marvin Dumandan rallied with a 68 to tie unheralded Rodulfo Ardimer, who shot the day’s best 66, at 209 for fifth while Jun Bernis moved to No. 4 midway through with a three-under card but wavered with two bogeys in the last six holes and settled for a 69 and even 210 for seventh.

Richard Sinfuego (71) and Elmer Salvador (69) wound up tied for eighth at 211 while Carl Santos-Ocampo (70) and Artemio Murakami (71) shared 10th place at 212.

The event was backed by MJ Carr Golf Management, Inc., Srixon, Callaway, Unilab, BDO, Titleist, Sharp, Custom Clubmakers, Mizuno, Empire Golf & Sports Shop, PinoyGolfer.com, Inquirer Golf, Omnisource International, A Round of Golf, Studio 23, Balls, and Dynamic Sports.

Hours earlier, it seemed all’s well for Pagunsan’s rise to another title romp despite a second round dilemma when he had to play it by his lonesome after dismissing his caddie after seven holes. He birdied three of the first five holes and zoomed to 9-under, going up by five over Lascuña, who started the round just a shot off but fell farther back with a double-bogey and a bogey in the same stretch.

He still led the field with a 34 at the turn although Pactolerin, five down after 36 holes, slowly closed in with a 33, birdied No. 10 and parred the rest of the holes for that 67.

By then, Pagunsan started to lose his grip of the lead, and his focus.