Juvic 2nd in Indon PGA, earns P3.9 M

MANILA, Philippines - Juvic Pagunsan fell short of his comeback bid despite hitting three birdies in the last four holes, closing out with a 69 and settling for joint runner-up finish with Aussie Rhein Gibson in the $1 million Jakarta Indonesia PGA Championship won by Japanese Michio Matsumura in Jakarta late yesterday.

Pagunsan, who started the final round tied with Matsumura and one shot behind Korean Park Sang-hyun, came out of an hour-long rain delay struggling a bit, bogeying No. 14 to reel back. But the ace Filipino shotmaker struck back with a birdie on the next, parred No. 16 then holed out with back-to-back birdies for a 69.

But that proved short as Matsumura capped his improbable comeback from a two-over 38 at the front with a sizzling 30 highlighted by birdies in the last three holes for a 68. He wound up with 21-under 267 and took the top $181,426 purse worth P8 million.

Pagunsan finished with 268 in a tie with Gibson, who rallied with a 10-under 62 and emerged the top player until the final flight of Matsumura and Pagunsan came along. Pagunsan and Matsumara each got $88,164 (P3.9 million) in the event that served as the kickoff of the Japan PGA Tour, where Pagunsan is based.

Despite his failed title bid, it was an impressive finish for the 36-year-old Pagunsan, who had been trying to regain the form that made the Asian Tour No. 1 in 2011.

He hit two birdies in a bogey-free frontside stint but fumbled with a bogey on the 10th and made three straight pars before play was halted due to threat of lightning.