Lascuña outguns Pagunsan, grabs three-shot lead

MANILA, Philippines –  Tony Lascuña outsteadied Juvic Pagunsan and Ferdie Aunzo in their backside duel, ramming in two birdies and coming up with a couple of gutsy pars to shoot a one-under 69 and snatch a three-stroke lead in another topsy-turvy round in The Country Club Invitational at the wind-raked TCC course in Laguna yesterday.

Lascuña birdied the long, tough pa-4 10 to break out of a logjam,came through with a slew of pars while his co-leaders got swept by the gusts one after the other then hit another birdie on No.16 to pull away from the star-studded field with a 36-33 card, moving 18 holes away from winning his second TCC crown.

Counting his two-under 68 Friday, the dusky Lascuña, winner of the 2005 edition of the P4.7 million event, pooled a 54-hole total of two-over 212, his amazing backside performance produced the day’s lone under-par round in the toughest day so far in the 72-hole championship.

That was three shots clear of Angelo Que, the defending champion, who, in a flight ahead with Marvin Dumandan and Andrea Unson, regained a one-stroke lead at the turn only to reel back with three bogeys in the last three holes in demanding condition. He wound up with a second straight 72 for a 215.

Pagunsan, a two-time winner here like Que, stayed in joint second with a birdie on the par-3 17th but dropped to joint third at 216 as he bogeyed the difficult par-4 finishing hole.

Others with six-over totals were Frankie Miñoza, who carded a 71, and Marvin Dumandan, one of the co-leaders halfway through the event put up by ICTSI chief Ricky Razon for the men of the tour but dropped out of the lead with a 73.

Ferdie Aunzo, the other co-leader in the second round, tumbled down with a closing 40 and a 77, dropping into a tie with Omar Dungca, who made a 71, at 220.

“Medyo sinuwerte lang at pumasok ang mga putts sa back nine (I just got lucky, my putts went in at the back),” said Lascuña, trying to match Que and Pagunsan’s two victories in what has become the country’s major golfing event.

When asked what score would it take for him to wrap up the crown, Lascuña said an even par would do given the prevailing condition at the challenging layout.

But with three of the most feared players chasing him, Lascuña would need a lower score to ensure the victory in the tournament also serving as the kickoff leg of this year’s ICTSI-Philippine Golf Tour.

Aunzo and Dumandan were virtually out of the title race at 220, and so do the likes of Benjie Magada and Elmer Salvador, who both had 221s after a 70 and a 75, respectively.

Unson, meanwhile, zeroed in on the low amateur honors despite a 77 as she pooled a 222,five ahead of Lovelynn Guioguio, who had a 227 after a 79.