Juvic joint 24th despite 69

MANILA, Philippines - Juvic Pagunsan birdied two of the last three holes to make for a late double bogey mishap as he shot another eagle-spiked 69 but fell farther back to joint 24th in the third round of the Toshin Golf Tournament In Central still paced by In Hoi Hur at the Toshin Golf Club in Gifu, Japan yesterday.

Pagunsan birdied the par-5 ninth then eagled No. 10, another par-5 hole, to get his game going but made a double-bogey on the par-3 15th, needing to birdie Nos. 16 and 18 to string nines of 35-34.

With an 11-under 205, Pagunsan dropped from a share of 18th to 24th as Hur fired a 66 for a 173 and took a four-stroke lead over new pursuer Seung Hyuk Kim who sizzled with a low 61 to pool a 197. Dong Kyu Jang stood at third at 199 after a 65.

Pagunsan, who had two runner-up finishes in this year’s Japan PGA Tour, hit a pitch-in eagle on No. 5 that spiked his bogey-free 65 in the first round but the ace Filipino shotmaker slowed down with a 71 in the second day and dropped to joint 18th.

But with the frontrunners sustaining their birdie-binge on the par-72 Central Course, Pagunsan fell 12 strokes off the pace heading to the final 18 holes of the rich Japan PGA Tour event.