Lipa City—American Brett Munson bucked the heat and matched Micah Shin’s record 64 in virtually the same fashion as he stormed ahead by three over a late-charging local pair of Juvic Pagunsan and Jhonnel Ababa halfway through the ICTSI Summit Point World 18 Challenge here yesterday.
As erstwhile leader Shin turned from flawless to flawed in a late tee start and bombed out with a 74, Munson brandished a superb all-around game and took command with his own version of an eight-under card in morning play that featured two back-to-back birdie feats and a three-birdie binge inside 16 feet for a pair of 32s and a 12-under 132.
Counting his opening 68, the 33-year-old ace from Maryland, who has been campaigning in various circuits in the region the last few years that netted him two victories, the last in Malaysia in 2017, moved 36 holes away from nailing a first championship on the Philippine Golf Tour Asia in two years.
“I putted well and that’s the key,” said Munson, also out to redeem himself from a tied 35th finish in Aboitiz Invitational at Wack Wack last month and a joint 25th place effort in the CAT Open at Luisita last week.
“The course is really good and the weather just fine. I’m used to playing in this of condition because I’ve competed in many tropical countries in Asia. So I can easily adjust,” said Munson, who once reached No. 446 in the Official World Golf Ranking.
But he will be as much tested in the last two days as Pagunsan and Ababa, who stood at 135, with the former barely missing setting a new course record with a flubbed birdie putt from close range in his finishing hole on No. 9. He ended up shooting the third 64, also in bogey-free fashion, in the $100,000 event closing out the third season of the circuit put up by ICTSI.
Holder of a record four-title romp in row in the PGT in June and August and winner of PGT Asia Riviera last March, Pagunsan came out smoking after a mediocre opening 71, hitting three birdies at the back then scorching the frontside with five birdies, highlighted by four straight from No. 2.
He had looked forward to capping his big charge with a birdie on the par-5 ninth but his last putt from four feet lipped the cup. He reluctantly tapped in for par then threw the ball into the big pond guarding the ninth and 18th holes.
Ababa, recalling the form that made him the winningest player on Asia’s emerging circuit with four victories, used solid iron play to get back into contention, coming through with nine birdies, the longest from 13 feet, to negate a couple of missed green bogeys.
“Despite my two miscues, everything went well,” said Ababa, the only back-to-back PGTA winner at Eagle Ridge and Pradera Verde and the first to retain a PGTA crown at Pradera.
Aussie Damien Jordan checked as rollercoaster frontside finish with a birdie on the ninth to card a 67 and catch Keanu Jahns, who shot a 69, at fourth at 136 while Tony Lascuña also made his move with a solid 67 to join Englishman George Twyman, who rallied with a 67, and Rufino Bayron at 137, five strokes behind Munson.
Bayron actually missed joining Pagunsan and Ababa at second with two bogeys in the last three holes, finishing with an eagle-aided 69 while defending champion Joenard Rates recovered from a disastrous three-bogey miscue after eight holes with a run of birdies, saving a 70 to join a big group of 138 scorers at eighth, including American Sam Gillis (70), reigning Philippine Open champion Clyde Mondilla (71), Thai Kammalas Namuangruk (70), Japanese Yuta Sudo (69) and Shin, who after a spotless 64 Wednesday, hobbled with two double bogeys and three bogeys against five birdies for a 38-36.
Fifty-one out of the starting 102-player field made the cut at a low one-under 143 that underscored the highly-competitive play in the event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and backed by PLDT Enterprise, Meralco, BDO and PGT Asia official apparel Pin High.
They include Thai Puk Pradittan (71), Laos’ Bebe Bouahom (74), Mhark Fernando (69), Japanese Rio Mori (76), Teodoro Osabel (74) and recent PGTA Aboitiz Invitational winner Tarik Can of the US (72).
Missing the cut were American Josh Salah (72-144), former PGT Asia leg winner Jay Bayron (71-145), Taiwanese Yang Fei Hao (76-145), Daan PGA of Taiwan leg winner Wisut Artjanawat of Thailand (71-146) pro-am winner Arnold Villacencio (70-148), reigning PGT Order of Merit champion Jobim Carlos (72-152).