Manolo Fortich, Bukidnon—Young Kim Joo Hyung took over from compatriot Lee Song in moving day here at Del Monte, birdying two of the last four holes to fire a four-under 68 and catch veteran Tony Lascuña at the helm in the third round of the ICTSI Del Monte Championship yesterday.
Kim, who has dominated the country’s amateur championships the last two years and finished second to Song in the Philippine Golf Tour Q-School at Splendido last February, actually cashed in on a two-shot swing on the closing par-5 18th to tie Lascuña at eight-under 208 after the multi-titled Filipino shotmaker holed out with a bogey for a 69.
With the next six players just one to three strokes behind, Kim and Lascuña said they would need a five-under card to foil their pursuers for the top P550,000 purse in this fourth leg of the circuit sponsored by ICTSI.
“I think, it’s 50 percent for a 13-under overall. But to be sure, I would need a 14-under total to win,” said the 16-year-old Kim, actually the reigning Philippine Amateur Open champion who also won the WExpress RVF Cup last February. He placed joint sixth in his first official pro tournament at Apo Invitational last week.
“For me, a four- or five-under tomorrow will do it,” said Lascuña, who missed grabbing the solo lead with an errant second shot and a poor blast that led to a bogey on the last hole.
“But I like my chances although it’s too close to call,” said the former three-time PGT Order of Merit champion.
Song, who stayed in command with Ira Alido in the first two rounds of the P3 million championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc., threatened to pull away with three birdies in the first six holes. But the 19-year-old shotmaker from Gangneung lost his touch and rhythm and fumbled with three bogeys in a six-hole stretch from No. 7 then mixed two birdies with the same number of bogeys in the last five holes for a 72.
He slid to second with American Nicolas, who slowed down with a 71 after a second round 68, at 209, just one stroke behind the new leaders while Lexus Keoninh, also of the US, carded a 70 to move to solo fifth at 210.
With Korean Kim Sung Wook rebounding with a 69, Michael Bibat shooting a 71 and James Ryan Lam hobbling with a 73 for identical 211s, the title chase is expected to be fierce.
“I’m terribly disgusted with my game. I couldn’t putt and missed so many greens unlike in the first two rounds,” rued Lee.
Alido, so solid with 68-69 rounds halfway through the event, rammed in two birdies against a bogey in the first eight holes but bogeyed four of the next eight and limped with a 75, tumbling down to joint ninth at 212 with Mhark Fernando and local amateur Noel Langamin, who shot similar 69s, and Jay Bayron, who carded a second straight 69.
“My ball-striking, irons and putting were all in disarray,” rued Alido.
Jobim Carlos, runaway winner at Apo last week, recovered from a bogey-double bogey mishap from No. 3 with three birdies in the next 10 holes. But he stumbled with another double-bogey on the par-3 16th and needed to birdie the last to save a 73. He dropped five strokes off the pace at 213 and would need to score in the low 60s to get another shot at the crown.
Others with three-under overall outputs are Kris Etter, who fired a 68, Francis Morilla, who shot a 70, former PGA Asia leg winner Justin Quiban, who strung a third straight 71, and Dutch Guido Van der Valk, who groped for a 73 in the event backed by BDO, KZG, Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Sharp, Champion, Summit Mineral Water and PLDT.