Hot Lascuña catches Bibat at helm

TRECE MARTIREZ, Cavite, Philippines – Tony Lascuña overhauled a four-stroke deficit with a near-impeccable start to wrest control but fumbled with a closing bogey to settle for a 68 and a share of the lead with Michael Bibat in the third round of the P3.5 million ICTSI Tournament Players Championship at the Sherwood Hills Golf Club here yesterday.

 Bibat carded a two-birdie, two-bogey 72 after going bogey-free in the first 36 holes while Lascuña regained his old fiery form to force a tie at 206, turning the race for the top P650,000 purse in this final leg of the 2015 ICTSI Philippine Golf Tour wide open with three more title hungry players wheeling back into contention with under-par scores.

Orlan Sumcad sustained an impressive start of four birdies in the first eight holes and closed out with two birdies in the last four to negate his two bogeys for a 68, joining Cassius Casas and Clyde Mondilla, who both carded 69s, at 208, just two shots behind the joint leaders heading to the final 18 holes of the event sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.

“This is going to be an exciting finish with at least five players closely bunched together,” said Lascuña, who pushed his 9-iron shot from 140 yards and missed the green on the 18th. “But the key here is a good start and I think a 67 will win it all.”

Rey Pagunsan also bounced into contention for the first time in a long, long while as the long-hitting former amateur standout fired a 67 to join Elmer Salvador and Korean Hyeok Park Jun, who both had 71s, at 210, four adrift of Bibat and Lascuña.

Pagunsan could’ve moved closer to the leaders but bogeyed the last hole and settled for a five-under card while Jhonnel Ababa matched par 72 for a 211, followed by Rufino Bayron, who also carded a 72 for a 212.

Despite blowing a four-shot lead, Bibat remains upbeat of his chances to end a two-year title spell but hopes to recover his iron game and at the same time keep his focus and touch off the tee and Sherwood’s putting surface.

“My driving and putting were actually okay. In fact, I made just 23 putts. But I struggled with my irons and hit just six greens,” said Bibat.

For a while, Bibat appeared to have sustained his form coming off a solid 68 and 66, matching Lascuña’s birdie opening and pars in the next two. But as he scrambled to salvage pars in the next three, Lascuña picked up two birdies and after both bogeyed the difficult par-4 seventh, the dusky Davaoeño shotmaker moved within one with back-to-back birdies against Bibat’s birdie on the eighth.