RP retains crown; Juvic slips to 2nd

HONG KONG — RP Team A came through with a solid 134 to retain the team championship in the Hong Kong Amateur Golf Open Championships but Juvic Pagunsan dropped to second in the individual play despite a 66 as Thai ace Kwaichai Tannin surged ahead with a flawless 64 in the third round at the Hong Kong Golf Club’s Old Course here yesterday.

Michael Bibat finally got into the scoring act for the team as he carded a three-under par 68, taking over from Tonton Asistio, who fumbled with a 73 after churning out superb rounds of 65 and 68. Counting Pagunsan’s 66, RP Team A finished with a 399, eight strokes ahead of Singapore, which had a 407 after a 135.

But while the team successfully defended the crown it won in runaway fashion last year, Pagunsan lost the handle of the individual lead he had held in the first two days as Tannin exploded with the day’s best score of seven-under 64 to shove past the Filipino ace with a 197.

That was one-shot up on Pagunsan, who had a 198, setting the stage for a shootout between the two top players expected to spearhead their respective teams’ bid in next month’s Southeast Asian Games in Manila.

Jonathan Leong of Singapore stood at 202 after a 65 while Sri Lanka’s Mithun Perera carded a 70 for a 204. Asistio, the country’s top jungolfer, cracked up under pressure and limped home with a 73, virtually bowing out of the individual race with a 206.

Also tumbling down was RP Team B, which struggled with a 147 as Jay Bayron, who powered RP to the team crown last year, could only churn out a 71 and either the 76 from Gene Bondoc and Marvin Dumandan counted for the team in the three-to-play, two-to-count format.

That dropped RP Team B to sixth place with a 421, behind joint third placers Thailand A (411) and China A (411), and Thailand B (420).

But while the chase for the team championship proved one-sided as the RP Team A led from start to finish, the battle for the individual plum looms to be a classic duel between the region’s top two players with Pagunsan, 27, out to complete the Filipinos’ sweep bid in the event serving as their final tuneup for the SEAG.

The RP teams’ participation here is sponsored by golf patron Ricky Razon through the National Golf Association of the Philippines with Gen. Bert Sabularse, NGAP training committee chairman, as team captain and assisted by head coach Bong Lopez and assistant coach Chris Guerrero.