Young Chan stuns Pagunsan, scores breakthrough in Asian Development Tour

MANILA, Philippines — Aidric Chan soared to a thrilling breakthrough victory at the Lexus Challenge of the Asian Development Tour, showcasing nerves of steel as he edged out former Asia’s No. 1 Juvic Pagunsan in a dramatic final-round battle in Vietnam on Friday.

Chan delivered a commanding eagle-spiked four-under-par 67 at the challenging Bluffs Grand Ho Tram course, completing his three-day campaign at eight-under 205. His triumph in the $90,000 event was worth a hefty $15,750 (P902,000) and marked his emergence as one of the region’s rising golf stars.

The 21-year-old Filipino talent showed his mettle in a gripping stretch-run slugfest in the second-to-last flight alongside Indonesian standout Jonathan Wijono and the seasoned Pagunsan, the former Asian Tour No. 1.

Chan began the day trailing by three shots behind Sam Broadhurst of England and Filip Lundell of Sweden, the second-round joint leaders. However, the final round proved to be a war of resilience rather than a mere shootout, and Chan answered the call in spectacular fashion.

Pagunsan, starting four shots back, displayed flashes of his old brilliance, surging into contention with a solid front-nine 31. The veteran campaigner’s hot streak saw him edge within one shot of Lundell, setting up a thrilling back-nine showdown.

Chan, who gunned down two birdies at the front, kept his composure despite a double-bogey on No. 12. A timely birdie on the 11th set the stage for a brilliant counterattack, and he delivered a pitch-in eagle on the par-4 14th, reclaiming the lead.

Yet, just as he seemed to gain momentum, the young gun suffered a bogey on the tricky par-3 15th. He refused to be rattled, however, and responded with clutch birdies on the 16th and 17th, maintaining his grip on the leaderboard.

Meanwhile, Pagunsan continued to battle, bouncing back from bogeys on Nos. 13 and 14 by matching Chan’s late birdies, putting himself in position for a playoff. But his aggressive approach on the final hole proved costly.

Aiming to win outright, Pagunsan went for broke – but instead, he bogeyed the par-4 18th, handing Chan the victory by a single stroke. The 46-year-old Japan Golf Tour veteran also closed with a 67 for a 206 total, settling for joint second place with Lundell and Broadhurst, who both carded 71s.

“I feel really great,” said Chan, whose background includes sharpening his skills on the Philippine Golf Tour. “I hit a lot of good shots today and had a lot of luck. For some part of the round, I thought I was a little out of it, but I’m really happy that those good shots came through for me.”

The victory was particularly meaningful for Chan, who had previously finished tied for fourth and 17th in the first two PGT legs at Pradera Verde and Eagle Ridge, respectively.

Meanwhile, Sean Ramos struggled in the final round, carding a 76 to drop into a tie for 30th at 217.

Chan’s breakthrough win not only solidifies his status as one of the Philippines’ brightest golf prospects but also paves the way for greater opportunities in the highly competitive Asian Tour farm league.