MANILA, 28 May 2006 — The 90th Philippine Open leader has become no stranger in setting the pace.
Australia’s Scott Strange kept his poise despite the sweltering heat and the tough conditions, matching par 72 yesterday to regain a one-stroke lead over Taiwanese veteran Chang Ting-yen going into the final 18 holes of Asia’s oldest professional championship.
Filipino ace Juvic Pagunsan took an unlikely tumble in the closing three holes at unpredictable Wack Wack East — quite possibly the only thing that was odd in the third round.
Pagunsan dropped five shots in that stretch, finishing bogey-double-double after playing flawless in his first 15 holes where he scattered three birdies to come within two shots of Strange, who has led, or has had a share of the lead, in each of the first three rounds.
Strange now has a 210 total — six-under-par — and will be playing with the 54-hole lead for the first time in his young career in the Asian Tour. And there are a handful of players that are within six shots of the Aussie, including Cookie La’O, who rebounded with his version of a 70 to be the best-placed Filipino, just four shots off.
The 31-year-old La’O, whose closest fling to a breakthrough professional victory came last year when he finished second in the Country Club Invitational at Canlubang, had five birdies against three bogeys. Angelo Que, a tour winner in Vietnam two years ago, fired a 70 and climbed into a tie for seventh with Pagunsan and three others, giving the Philippines three decent cracks at keeping the trophy in home soil after today. Yeh, 38, struggled with a 73 after three birdies and four bogeys to drop out of the lead after opening with two 69s.
Fellow Taiwanese Chin Sheng-Hseih fired a 71 and Wei Lan-lu turned in a 72 for joint fifth at 215 with Canadian Rick Gibson, the winner when Wack Wack last hosted the Open in 2002, who turned in a 75 for 217. Defending champion Adam Le Vesconte of Australia finally submitted a sub-par score — a 70 — for 220, 10 shots off the pace and practically out of it all. Burly Robert Pactolerin, a crowd darling and the 1991 winner, skied to an 81 for 225 after a 70 in the second round got the leaders within striking distance.
Meanwhile, Jay Bayron, now the acknowledged RP Team spearhead with Pagunsan turning pro at the start of the year, fired a 73 to wrest the amateur lead over Marvin Dumandan, whose 75 gave him a 222 tally, one stroke behind the former caddies’ champion. A collective moan was practically heard in the final three holes when Pagunsan had his misadventures.
