Pagunsan nips pal in sudden death

CANLUBANG – Juvic Pagunsan overcame a three-hole deficit with two holes to go then nipped Boyet Zaragosa with a birdie on the second hole of a sudden-death playoff to capture the sixth DHL Open Amateur golf championship yesterday.

Ready to concede when he teed off on the 17th still three strokes down, Pagunsan watched Zaragosa collapse with a horrifying triple-bogey and then miss two more winning chances in a dramatic finish to what transpired as a one-on-one duel with his longtime buddy.

The day-long shootout ended in their second return to par-5 No. 9 serving as the second extra hole where Pagunsan drained a slightly uphill 10-foot birdie putt off a 90-yard third shot.

Both parred the first extra hole and it proved to be another heartbreaker for Zaragosa whose birdie try from 12 feet – far shorter than Juvic’s 20-foot try – grazed the cup. Another opportunity for a sure victory slipped off Zaragosa’s grip on the last hole of regulation where he missed a four-foot birdie chance.

Carmelette Villaroman-Calimag won the women’s crown with a closing six-over-par 78 (222). She won P10,000 worth of gift certificate and a glass trophy. Heidi Chua came in second.

Pagunsan scored a 75 for a 72-hole total of 290. Zaragosa overcame Pagunsan’s one-stroke lead after three rounds with a 74. Pagunsan won P20,000 worth of gift certificate from the sponsoring DHL Philippines plus glass trophy. Zaragosa settled for P15,000 gift certificate runner-up prize.