Tabuena, Pagunsan battle back in IS Singapore, Japan

MANILA, Philippines – Miguel Tabuena finally put it all together and produced an eagle-aided 66 after back-to-back 71s as he broke into the Top 10 after three rounds of the rich International Series Singapore at the Tanah Merah Country Club’s Tampines course Saturday.

But the top Filipino campaigner stood 12 strokes off a red-hot David Puig of Spain, who also sizzled with a second straight six-under card after an opening 64 to blow the stellar field with a whopping 20-under 196 aggregate heading to the final 18 holes of the $2 million championship.

The Spaniard led Jaewoong Eom by nine shots after the Korean carded a 69 for a 205 while Thai Atiruj Winaicharoenchai and Jack Thompson of Australia matched 206s after a 68 and 69, respectively.

Way down at tied 35th halfway through the seventh leg of the 10-stage International Series of the Asian Tour, the ICTSI-backed Tabuena hit two birdies in a backside start then gunned down two more at the front before firing an eagle on the par-5 eighth to complete a bogey-free 32-34.

He was on target off the mound, hitting all but one fairway and missing just three greens while finishing with 28 putts, including two par-saves, as he joined Thai Poom Saksanin and Japanese Tomoharu Otsuki at ninth at 208.

But Angelo Que failed to make his move in the pivotal round, hobbling with two bogeys against a lone birdie as he posted a 73 and slipped to joint 59th at 216.

Over in Japan, Juvic Pagunsan fired a 68 to improve to a share of 22nd at 211 but still lay eight strokes behind Shugo Imahira, who assembled a 203 after a 71 and barely led fellow Japanese Yuta Ikeda after 54 holes of the CAN Championship of the Japan Golf Tour in Hyogo Prefecture, also yesterday.

Pagunsan fought back from an opening round 73 with a 70 Friday and overcame a bogey miscue on No. 11 of the Sanko Golf Club’s Japan course where he teed off with birdies on Nos. 12, 14, 18, 1 and 7.

The smooth-swinging Filipino also scrambled for five pars that highlighted his 24-putt showing.

Justin delos Santos, in contrast, failed to recall the form that netted him a lead-grabbing 63 Thursday and slipped to joint 29th with a 73 marked by four birdies but marred by five bogeys.

After a near-flawless nine-under card in the first round, the Fil-Am shotmaker made a 76 in the next to tumble to a share of 21st. He actually charged back with three birdies against a bogey after nine holes. But he yielded three strokes in the last five holes to settle for a 73 and a 212.

Meanwhile, Ikeda carded a 68 for a 204 while Korean Song Yong-han and locals Yuki Inamori and Tomohiro Kondo matched 205s after 68, 70 and 72, respectively.