MANILA, Philippines -- Juvic Pagunsan lost his touch, rhythm – and patience – trying to whip up a stretch-run charge as he dropped three strokes on the final hole to end up with a 72 and tumble to joint eighth in the Mynavi ABC Championship topped by Keita Nakajima in Hyogo Prefecture Sunday.
The halfway co-leader rebounded from an opening hole bogey with five birdies in the next 11 holes to put himself in contention for a runner-up finish at 19-under overall with Nakajima too far ahead at 22-under in the same stretch.
But a bogey on No. 14 stalled Pagunsan’s momentum and after failed bids to land another birdie in the next three holes, including on the par-5 15th, he went for broke on the 18th, also a par-5, but made a triple-bogey instead for a 34-38.
He finished with a 273 for a share of eighth with three others as Nakajima ran away with a championship with a fiery 66 spiked by an eagle on No. 15 and a birdie on the last.
Nakajima totaled 264 and won by three over South African Shaun Norris and Mikumu Horikawa, who also closed out with six-under cards at the ABC Golf Club course.
Filipino-American Justin delos Santos wound up with a 71 and tied for 29th at 281.
It was a sorry windup for Pagunsan, the former Asian Tour No. 1, who sparked hopes for a third Japan Golf Tour victory with a second round 64 that left him tied with Horiwaka. Though he slipped to joint fourth with a 70 Saturday and fell by three off Nakajima, the multi-titled Philippine Golf Tour campaigner still nurtured hopes for at least a strong finish, particularly after overcoming a shaky start with a scorching fightback that featured birdies on Nos. 2, 4, 7, 10 and 12.