The Filipinos assembled an even-par 210 on moving day in the 42nd Southeast Asian Golf Team Championship — a score the Thais matched to go into the final day at the Hong Kong Golf Club’s new course still holding a solid eight-stroke advantage.
That put the Thais well in position to win this event for the fourth time over the last five years — and the Filipinos needing nothing less than a monumental Sunday rally to bring home a trophy it has not won since the 1996 edition in Myanmar.
"It is a formidable lead, but not entirely unassailable," said National Golf Association of the Philippines president Rod Feliciano. "Who knows? I mean, a solid round by our boys and a few mistakes by the Thais and anything can happen."
Their spirits bolstered by the presence of First Gentleman Mike Arroyo who watched the final flights from behind the ropes, the Filipinos started out strong but left several opportunities to go really low for the day slip by.
Jay Bayron clutched a two-under card with birdies on two of the first three holes but gave it all back with a double-bogey at the par-4 15th, where he hooked his drive into a semi-stymied lie in the trees. He ended up with a one-over 71.
Jerome Delariarte, the reigning national champion, fired a team-best 69 but couldn’t cash in on at least seven birdie opportunities from makable range. He also gave up one stroke to par at the 16th when rules officials asked their flight to play faster.
Juvic Pagunsan, matched up in the premier flight with Thai ace Prom Meesawat, settled for an even-par 70 even if he had missed just one green the whole round.
Paul Miñoza, making his international debut in this team sent here by DHL Worldwide Express, WWExpress, Mizuno and the Philippine Sports Commission, scored a 79 and didn’t count under the four-to-play, three-to-count format.
Still that even-par card would have been enough to eat up two, three strokes off the Thais’ lead, especially after Meesawat sprayed his drives all over the place and needed a couple of big breaks to come away with a 69.
But the Thais got a much-needed boost from Ronnachai Jamnong, their back-up man who didn’t even count in the first two days but who kept the team together with a clutch 68.
That negated a 73 posted by Wisut Artjanawat and gave the leaders a third successive 210 for 630 -- as against the Filipinos’ 238.
The Filipinos, though, hope to have one last crack at it. Non-playing captain Jun Galindez and coach Roger Retuerto have top-loaded the line-up for the final day, hoping Bayron — the most consistent player in the team so far — would lead off a last-ditch rally.
"Si Jay ang talagang puwedeng umiskor sa course na ito," said Retuerto. "Sana mag-deliver siya sa first flight para ma-pressure ang mga Thais."
Miñoza, who is due for a big round, and Pagunsan will be in the middle rounds while Delariarte will square off with the 19-year old Meesawat, the individual champion here over the last three years, in the final pairing.
The final day will be no more than a two-team battle.
Malaysia rallied with a 211 and Myanmar scored a tournament-best 206 but couldn’t close in on the leaders. Malaysia is still at 649 — 19 strokes down on the Thais — and Myanmar another two strokes behind in fourth place.
Hong Kong (216-653), Singapore (230-671), Indonesia (220-674) and Brunei (231-684) round out the last.