TAGAYTAY , Philippines — Perry Bucay weathered a shaky round with a gutsy stretch-run recovery, keeping a firm grip on the individual lead even as UP’s Joshua Buenaventura stormed back into contention in the rain-hit third round of the inaugural UAAP Season 88 Golf Tournament at Tagaytay Midlands here on yesterday.
Despite struggling with a 76, Bucay stayed on top with a 54-hole aggregate of 219 as De La Salle University moved closer to a historic sweep of all four titles in golf’s first-ever appearance in the UAAP calendar as a demonstration sport.
What once looked like a looming La Salle 1-2 finish, however, has turned into a compelling final-round showdown.
Buenaventura fired a gritty 73 to pull within three shots at 222, setting up a high-stakes duel with Bucay in today’s final 18 holes. La Salle’s Zach Castro, who started the day just two shots behind Bucay, slipped after a 78 but remained in the thick of the race at 223.