Pagunsan folds up, settles for joint 2nd

Juvic Pagunsan cracked under pressure and bogeyed the final hole for a three-over 75, enabling Prayad Marksaeng of Thailand to snatch the Volvo Masters of Asia crown with a closing three-under 69 for a one-shot victory at the Thai Country Club in Bangkok yesterday.

That final hole mishap typified Pagunsan’s day-long struggle at the hazard-laden par-72 layout that saw the Filipino shotmaker drop four shots in a birdie-less frontside stint that set the stage for a wild finish.

Englishman Chris Rodgers and Scot Simon Yates pounced on that Pagunsan early foldup and gained a share of the lead in one stretch only to falter and bow out at the finish of the $750,000 championship.

Yates caught up with Pagunsan with birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 but dropped out of the title race with a closing bogey for a 68 while Yates was on top after 16 but tumbled with a double-bogey 7 on No. 17 for a 73.

But while Pagunsan, Rodgers and Yates wavered, Marksaeng steeled himself up with two birdies in the last five holes, including on the 18th that proved to be the clincher for the veteran Thai campaigner.

Marksaeng, with five previous Asian Tour victories, including the 2000 Casino Filipino Open at Southwoods, finished with a 13-under 275, nipping Pagunsan, who settled for joint second with Rodgers at 276. Pagunsan and Rodgers took $69,000 each (P2.9 million) while Marksaeng won $135,000 (P5.7 million).

It was a sorry setback for the 29-year-old Pagunsan, who had raised hopes for a second victory on the tour after his stirring triumph in the Pertamina Indonesia President Invitational last October after storming to a four-shot lead over Yates and five ahead of Marksaeng after the third round.

But after four straight pars, Pagunsan failed to keep his composure, bogeying the next two holes and dropping two more shots on Nos. 8 and 9.

He even dropped to third at the turn but showed some kind of resiliency by birdying two of the first three holes at the back to wrest back the lead.

Pagunsan seemed to have thwarted the charges of his pursuers with a brave run of pars in the next five holes but just couldn’t withstand the pressure on the tough par-4 18th, which he bogeyed in the first two days but birdied Saturday.