Quiban hangs tough as four others creep within range
Justin Quiban slowed down considerably on Thursday and allowed four pursuers to come within four shots as the P3 million ICTSI Lakewood Championship of the Philippine Golf Tour comes down to a wild finish.
The long-hitting Asian Tour mainstay rescued a two-under-par 70 under punishing heat for a 54-hole 200 aggregate, as South Korea’s Ha Tae-won crept to within two shots after pooling a 66 with three others keeping strong chances of completing a final round rally on Friday.
“I was a little off, didn’t drive it as well as I wanted,” Quiban said after a 35-35 card sprinkled with an eagle 3 on No. 8 for the second straight round but with three bogeys this time.
“I wasn’t as sharp with my wedges and I made quite a lot of mistakes out there, but it turned out okay,” Quiban added before heading straight to the range to address his third-round flaws.
Bisera holds on
Defending champion Sean Ramos fired a day-best 64 to move within four, like Keanu Jahns, the three-leg winner last year, who submitted a 68. Fidel Concepcion shot a 66 and is six down with 18 holes left to play.
Quiban, who is not a stranger to winning, knows how to handle pressure. And it helps that Jahns is a good friend. Ha will complete the final threesome on Friday.
“Keanu is a buddy of mine, and it’s nice to see him up here with me,” Quiban, who led by four after the first round by shooting a course record 62, said. “We’re just going to battle it out [on Friday], and it’s going to be fun.”
Meanwhile, Florence Bisera won the accompanying ladies championship over LK Go by draining a birdie in the fourth hole of what started as a three-way playoff that included Sarah Ababa.
Bisera matched par 70 and was caught at 210 by Ababa, who fired a 68 and Go, who carded a 70.
Ababa bombed out in the second playoff hole with a bogey, before Bisera converted on a four-foot putt for birdie on the fifth trip to the 10th to win.
