Late blitz gives Pucay solo lead

After coming close to throwing away the putter that gave him nothing but frustrations of late, Mars Pucay put it to good use in firing a second straight four-under-par 68 to seize the upperhand after three rounds of the First Gentleman’s Professional Golf Circuit second leg in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

Pucay peeled off from a tightly bunched lead group with three consecutive birdies from the 13th in a closing blitz that sent him all alone at the top at 209, seven under par for 54 holes at the well-manicured Sherwood Hills Golf Club course.

Two strokes adrift at 211 were Mario Siodina, the senior citizen who failed to sustain the momentum of a steady front nine and settled for a 73 and Richard Sinfuego who inched closer with his own version of a 68.

The chase for the P100,000 champion’s money remained as tight with Cassius Casas letting go of an explosive charge with a double-bogey on the treacherous No. 10.

Casas, storming ahead with an early flurry of three birdies from the second, slowed down coming home for a 72 and though he slipped to third at 213, the multi-titled hotshot was certainly the main cause for worry.

Almost all the big names are in the running as well with Robert Pactolerin (69) and Rodrigo Cuello (70) tied at 214 and Danny Zarate (72) still not to be discounted at 216 in this second stop of a nationwide tour jointly organized by the First Gentleman Foundation and the Federation of Golf Clubs Philippines, Inc.

Zarate and Cuello were one of the six players who shared the first round lead.

Pactolerin was actually in hot pursuit of the leader with a five under card after 17 holes but he double-bogeyed the 18th.

Three potentially explosive pairings are featured in today’s final round with Pucay, Sinfuego and Siodina making up the final flight while Pactolerin rekindles his old rivalry with Casas in a threesome with Cuello.

Antonio Lascuna and Marlon Dizon, the two players who disputed the Sta. Elena opening leg in a sudden-death playoff, are with the Japan-based Rey Pagunsan and Rodolfo Cuello at 218. Lascuna broke par for the first time with a 70 while Dizon continued his impressive debut with a 72 for similar 218 totals.

Pucay has been struggling to find the right putting stroke and his most agonizing moment with the putter came two weeks ago in the World Cup qualifier in Malaysia where he missed a four-footer for par in a three-nation playoff that denied him and partner Zarate a slot to the finals in Mexico.