3 weeks ago
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Philstar.com
February 20, 2025 | 2:43pm
LAUREL, Batangas – Jaehyun Jung overcame a triple-bogey on the 11th hole, bouncing back with a late birdie to rescue a 73 in another grueling round at the Philippine Golf Tour Qualifying School here on Thursday, extending his lead to five strokes and moving closer to securing low medal honors.
Carl Corpus managed to wrest solo second place despite a 73 in another wind-blown day, while Chris delos Santos fired a second straight 71 to tie for third with Japan’s Yuto Hayaski, who posted an even-par 72. With just one round left, the battle for the coveted 30 Tour cards remains intense in this 72-hole elimination event organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., leading up to the 10-leg circuit set to begin at Pradera Verde on Monday, February 24.
Jung, who seized a four-shot lead over Ji Sung Cheon with a brilliant 67 on Wednesday, looked poised for another stellar round after hitting back-to-back birdies from No. 4. He quickly recovered from a mishap on the eighth with another birdie on the 10th, maintaining his momentum.
But the big-hitting 19-year-old encountered trouble on the par-5 11th, where he closed with a costly triple-bogey. Another dropped shot on the 14th, his second consecutive bogey on that hole, further slowed his charge.
Despite the setbacks, Jung steadied himself with a birdie on the 15th, salvaging a 73 for a three-round total of five-under 211. He heads into the final round with a commanding five-stroke lead over Corpus, who pooled an even-par 216.
“I thought I was playing against the wind when I set up for my tee shot on No. 11, but the wind shifted, and the ball ended up in the hazard,” Jung said of his triple-bogey, which was compounded by a three-putt finish.
Despite the setback, he remained confident, knowing he still held a comfortable lead. Looking ahead to the final round, Jung vowed to take a more aggressive approach.
“I played pretty conservatively over the past three days, but tomorrow (Friday), I’ll try to be more aggressive,” he said.
Delos Santos and Hayaski trail further behind at 219, eight shots off the leader.
Several local hopefuls strengthened their bids for the other spots in the Top 30, all aiming for a spot in this year’s highly anticipated PGT season. They include Paul Echavez, who fought back with a 71, securing solo fifth at 220, while Japan’s Atsushi Ueda carded a 74 for 221 followed by amateur Jhondie Quibol, eho slipped to joint seventh at 223 alongside Belem Arancon, who shot a 74.
Dan Cruz skied to a 78 after a 71 for 224, while two-time Q-School champion Toru Nakajima faltered with a 77, dropping to joint 10th at 225, where he was joined by James Ryan Lam, who fired a 70, and Rey Pagunsan, who hobbled with a 77.
John Michael Uy also made a move with a 71, leading the group at 226 that includes Tom Marcelo (75), Brunei’s Qawim Aslimon (76) and Josh Jorge (77), while first-round leader Ji Sung Cheon endured a tough day with an 85, dropping to joint 17th at 227, including Carlos Packing (73), Chon Koo Kang (77) and Ivan Monsalve (78).
Luis Bagtas, who opened with an 85, continued his comeback with a 71, adding to his previous 72 for a total of 228. He is tied at 21st with Korea’s Tae Won Kim (75), Japan’s Junichi Katayama (76) and Jonas Magcalayo (77).
Amateur Paolo Wong carded a 74 for joint 25th at 229 with, Emilio Panimdim Jr. (76), and Japan’s Kota Fukuyama (80).
While Jung remains in control for the top spot, the fight for the last few Tour cards remains fierce. GJ Katigbak and Anthony Fernando are tied at 28th with 230s after rounds of 75 and 76, respectively.
Tied at 231 are Kai Yasuma (77), Yudai Nakakuki (78), Myung Chal Hwang (80) and Taewon Ha (81), while a stroke behind at 232 for joint 34th are Richard Sinfuego (75) and Angelo Anzuris (80), and all aiming for a late surge in the final round.
