Miñoza fires 64, takes lead over young field

CANLUBANG, Laguna, Philippines – Frankie Miñoza bucked the gale-force wind that bedeviled the games of the frontrunners and chief contenders as he carded a tournament-best six-under 64 to jump from joint fifth to the top of the heap in the third round of P5 million The Country Club Invitational at the TCC layout yesterday.

While Angelo Que and Miguel Tabuena and four others fumbled and tumbled down in the toughest ever day here, Miñoza flashed a near-perfect all-around game to shoot down early birdies and wrest control. He then pulled away with a eye-popping three-birdie string from No. 12 in his most impressive form since he rallied from seven strokes down in the final round to capture the ICTSI Wack Wack Championship crown in 2011.

His day-long brilliance, however, didn’t end on No. 14 but on the tough finishing hole which he birdied from four feet after another solid approach shot off the edge of a fairway bunker that capped a mind-boggling round from the most senior in the starting 37-player field.

Still, it came hardly as a surprise for the 53-year-old Miñoza, who has faced much tougher challenges in cruel conditions in his long stint on the Japan PGA Tour and other international tournaments.

“It probably adds to the motivation that I’ve never won at this particular course and I haven’t won for two years now,” said Miñoza, whose 54-hole total of five-under 205 put him four strokes ahead of a lesser-light foe and seven over a heavyweight rival and a slew of others.

“At my age and competing against younger participants, it’s a dream come true for me winning here,” said Miñoza, who seized a piece of the lead with Tabuena and Que with an opening round 68 before slipping to joint fifth with a second round 73.

Back at the helm, Miñoza now goes for the only local major crown missing in his vast collection of trophies, saying an even par would be enough to clinch the title and pocket the whopping P1.5 million purse.

“If the condition, especially the wind, stays the same, I’ll have a strong chance of winning this with an even par round tomorrow (today),” said Miñoza.

Rufino Bayron, a former national hotshot still in quest of a breakthrough win on the pro tour in four years, took over the challenger’s role with a gutsy 69, hacking out tough pars in the closing holes to be at 209 while Juvic Pagunsan missed gaining ground on Miñoza with two bogeys in the last four holes. He ended up with a 71 and dropped to joint third with Cassius Casas, Clyde Mondilla and Jay Bayron at 212.

Mondilla worked his way back with an impressive 68, Casas charged home with a 34 for a 72, while Jay Bayron also bogeyed the 18th for a 71.

Carl Santos-Ocampo also bogeyed two of the last four holes to settle for a 70 and solo seventh at 213 heading to the last 18 holes of the event put up by ICTSI chair and CEO Ricky Razon in honor of his father ICTSI founder Enrique “Don Pocholo” Razon Sr.

Miñoza, the former two-time Philippine Open champion who lost the 2008 crown to Pagunsan in sudden death, birdied three of the first five holes to negate his lone three-putt bogey on No. 6 and overhaul a three-stroke deficit. He then rattled off three straight birdies from No. 12 when all the others scrambled just for pars to stay in contention.

Two, however, failed to even cling on.

Que and Tabuena, the joint leaders in the first two days, lost their poise and rhythm in the gale-force wind that blew from all over right at the mid-morning tee-off with the former winding up with a fat 8 at the par-4 No. 4 and limping with a six-over 76.

For a while, Tabuena hung tough with a one-over card after eight holes only to fall apart with four more bogeys in the next seven holes, also ending up with a 76, as the duo remained tied, although this time, down in eighth place.

Tony Lascuña, the pre-tournament favorite, virtually kissed his title bid goodbye with a 70 for a 216, 11 shots off Miñoza and in a tie with Dottie Ardina, who also matched par 70 to all but wrapped up the amateur crown.

With a 216, Ardina took a four-shot lead over teammate Cyna Rodriguez, who also scored a 70, while last year’s low amateur Jayvie Agojo carded a 72 for a 224.