Rey Pagunsan, Aidric Chan rule National Pro-Am with plenty to spare

LAUREL, Batangas, Philippines — Rey Pagunsan provided the poise and Aidric Chan everything else needed to anchor a successful team-up as they rallied to post a runaway six-stroke victory over Spain’s Marcos Pastor and Nicole Abelar with a closing 69 in the Delimondo National Pro-Am at Taal Splendido Golf Club here yesterday.

Not even a bogey in the rain at the finish could stop Pagunsan and Chan from nailing the crown they had virtually bagged with a 34 start as the duo stormed to leads as many as seven after Chan rolled in their fourth birdie on No. 16 as their rivals faded one after the other in overcast skies.

“I couldn’t have picked a better partner. Aidric’s so good,” said Pagunsan of his teammate, a fellow Southwoods bet and the reigning national junior champion, who set up Pagunsan for two birdies at the front that they used as a springboard to overpower the field with a 54-hole total of four-under 212.

The first came on No. 1 from 10 feet and the second from 45 feet on the par-3 No. 8.

“Tsamba yun (No. 8) but I really didn’t expect we could win it until we pulled away at the back,” said Pagunsan, ecstatic after earning a juicy P500,000 purse he said he would use for his campaign on the Philippine Golf Tour starting in Bacolod next month.

It was actually Pagunsan’s second victory in team play after his partnership with Ryan Monsalve at Veterans last year. But the 51-year-old former national team mainstay remained winless in individual competition that stretches back to over a decade ago.

Chan received merchandise and gift packs from the sponsoring Delimondo and organizing Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. with the victory also boosting his confidence and giving him some kind of momentum heading to the SEA Games team qualifying tournament at Luisita next month.

Two birdies in a solid frontside were all Pagunsan and Chan needed to overcome a two-stroke deficit and regain control of the field they dominated in the first round as second round leaders Daniella Uy and brother Lanz cracked under pressure and wavered with an opening 40 and erstwhile contenders Art Arbole and Joel Yamyamin settled for a two-birdie, two-bogey game.

While their rivals hobbled and stumbled over the rolling, hazard-laden layout, Pagunsan and Chan kept their poise and kept playing as one solid team, overcoming a two-stroke deficit to the Uys early to move 3-up over Arbole and Yamyamin. The Uy siblings, Arbole and Yamyamin, who yielded stroke after stroke trying to Pagunsan and Chan’s impressive games.