Delariarte keeps shaky lead with 71

CANLUBANG — Jerome Delariarte struggled with a balky putter and limped home with his first over-round in three days — a 71 that enabled Cookie La’O to move within two strokes after a fiery 68 on a windy third round action, setting up a duel of two young guns chasing their first-ever career win worth P1.1 million in The Country Club Invitational.

Delariarte’s one over-par card actually was the best in the last and only foursome as flightmates Robert Pactolerin, Benjie Magada and Gerald Rosales, who all started the round four strokes behind the three-day leader, fared even worse on a punishing day at the tough par-70 layout, made more daunting with the presence of the winds that blew from all over, all day yesterday.

Pactolerin tried to match the 26-year-old Delariarte’s par-game in the early going but failed to sustain his charge and closed out with a 72 and a 212 while Magada and Rosales dropped out of the race early and wound up with atrocious rounds of 75 and 76, respectively.

But a flight ahead was La’O, a co-leader in the first round with a 68. La’O reeled five strokes back with a 73 in the second day only to fight back with a brilliant stint in a seven-hole stretch linking both nines that saw him go three-under and within a stroke off Delariarte, who after a pair of 68s went birdie-less in the first 12 holes in a stint marred by a bogey. Delariarte, however, recovered in time, birdying Nos. 13 and 14 to cushion the impact of his faltering finish where he dropped two shots in the last four holes, including a three-putt mishap on the testy par-3 No. 17.

Although visibly shaken by that 71 (36-35) round, Delariarte still remained on top with a 207 aggregate, enabling three others to get a stab at the richest ever staked in local pro golf outside of the Philippine Open.

La’O, third placer here last year, also closed out on a rather shaky note, no thanks to a three-putt bogey on No. 16, but his 68 (34-34) proved enough to put him within striking distance at 209, exactly the same position when he was outplayed in the final round by last year’s champion Tony Lascuna. "It’s gonna be exciting, fun" said La’O. Plus lots of pressure.

Mars Pucay will make sure to apply that as he joins the championship flight with a steady 69 that gave him a 54-hole output of 211, four strokes behind. But the challenge could come from a noted but the least of all player to make a charge after opening his bid with back-to-back 73s.

Lascuna dished out the form that netted him a two-stroke victory over Angelo Que last year, a brilliant four-under 66 that carried the dusky Davaoeno shotmaker from 10 strokes back to within five.

"Pwede pa," said the 38-year-old Lascuna, who seemed to have finally found the rhythm, form and confidence missing in the first two days of his ambitious title-retention bid in this P3.8 million event put up by Ricky Razon to honor the memory of his father Don Pocholo, an avid golfer like him.

Lascuna birdied three of the first five holes, stalled by bogeys on Nos. 8 and 10 but sizzled in the winds by birdying the next three holes before closing out with a slew of pars for that 33-33 card that matched the course record set by Que in his failed final round charge last year.

Casas, impressive with an opening 69 Thursday, never recovered from a bad start and ended the day chasing birdies that hardly came, settling for a second straight 72 and allowing Danny Zarate, carding a 71, to tie at sixth place with a 213, six shots adrift.

Magada dropped three strokes in the first three holes, including a double-bogey on the par-3 No. 3 where he missed the green, pitched into the bunker and two-putted. He had a 75 for a 215.

Worse was Rosales, the former RP Open champion who lost four precious strokes in the first four holes marred by a double-bogey 6 on the monster par-4 No. 4. He skied to a 76 for a 216 in a tie with leading amateur Tonton Asistio, who made a 72.

A couple of unfancied players actually made a run at Delariarte’s lead with Edgar Ababa shooting a three-under card after nine holes and Elmer Salvador moving within three after seven holes. But both faltered as quickly as they made their charge with Ababa finishing with an even par 70-220 and Salvador winding up with a 75 instead for a 217 in a tie with Rey Pagunsan (70), Richard Sinfuego (71), Carito Villaroman (75) and promising amateur Michael Bibat, who fired a 69.

But focus will be on Delariarte and La’O, who will be clashing for the crown for the first time in their young pro careers.

"No particular game plan, just play it steady and hope for the best," said La’O, adding that he was never aware that he got as close to within one off Delariarte after No. 12. "I never keep track of the scores of others." For sure, he will this time.