Davao's Lascuna outguns Bacolod's Pagunsan to wrest control

Dabawenyo Tony Lascuna outsteadied Juvic Pagunsan of Bacolod and fellow Dabawenyo 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 day in the third round of The Country Club Invitational at the wind-raked TCC course in Laguna, Saturday. Lascuna birdied the long, tough par-4 10 to break out of a five-way logjam,came through with a slew of pars while his co-leaders got swept by the gusts then hit another birdie on No.16 to pull away from the star-studded field with a 36-33 card. That moved the dusky Davaoeno shotmaker 18 holes away from winning his second TCC crown with a 212, including a tournament-best 68 Friday that put him in a five-way tie with Pagunsan, Aunzo, Angelo Que and Marvin Dumandan. But his amazing backside performance, where he bucked the blustery wind with a solid shotmaking and steady iron game, virtually took the fight out of his erstwhile co-leaders, who faded out one after another and limped home with over par rounds in the toughest yet day of the tournament. With his two-over aggregate, Lascuna, winner of the 2005 edition of the P4.7 million event, pooled a 54-hole total of two-over 212, stood three shots clear of Que, the defending champion, who, in a flight ahead with Marvin Dumandan and Andrea Unson, regained a one-stroke lead at the turn with a 35 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 with a bogey on the difficult par-4 finishing hole. Others with six-over totals were Frankie Minoza, 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 Lascuna, 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, Lascuna said an even par would do given the prevailing condition at the challenging layout. But with three of the most feared players chasing him, Lascuna 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.(pr)