BACOLOD – Keanu Jahns played like a man on a mission – laser-focused, quietly confident and completely in control – firing a second straight 65 to take solo control of the ICTSI Bacolod Golf Challenge at the Bacolod Golf and Country Club here on Wednesday.
Jahns came out firing, birdieing four of the first six holes and adding two more on the back nine to offset a lone bogey. His second straight five-under card, following an opening day 67, gave him a 54-hole aggregate of 13-under 197 – two strokes clear of a new challenger in Fidel Concepcion.
A consistent contender over the last two PGT events, Concepcion matched Jahns’ 65 to climb into solo second at 199, positioning himself for another crack at a breakthrough win in the Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.-organized circuit.
Overnight co-leader Tae Won Ha, who dazzled with an eagle-fueled 64 in the second round to tie Jahns at the halfway point of the P2 million championship, cooled off with a 69. Shaken by the pressure but showing late-round grit, the 21-year-old Korean birdied two of his final four holes to salvage a 69 although he slipped to third at 201, four shots back but still within striking distance with 18 holes to play on the unpredictable Binitin layout.
Aidric Chan briefly challenged Jahns with a blazing front-nine 32, highlighted by a pitch-in eagle on the par-4 ninth. He stayed within one stroke through 12 holes but unraveled with a triple-bogey on the par-4 13th. Despite bouncing back with another eagle on the par-5 15th, a bogey on the closing par-3 18th capped a rollercoaster round of 69, dropping him to solo fourth at 202.
Several players made their move during the pivotal third round, only to falter down the stretch. Russell Bautista surged into a tie for second with a five-under card through 13 holes but settled for a 66 after a bogey on the final hole, tying Reymon Jaraula for fifth at 203.
Jaraula, last year’s champion with a 16-under total, followed up his second-round 65 with a solid 67, marred only by two bogeys.
Though the rest of the field trails by a wider margin, Binitin’s challenging setup leaves room for dramatic swings on Friday.
Amateur Bobe Salahog continued his impressive run with a second 66 in three days, reaching 204 to share seventh with two-leg winner Angelo Que, who carded a 67, while Tony Lascuña fired a 68 to tie for ninth at 205 with Carl Corpus, who turned in a 69.
Jahns signaled his intent from the outset, birdieing three of the first four holes with clinical precision. His playing partners, Ha and Chan, could only watch as the 29-year-old Fil-German unleashed a near-flawless stretch of golf, fueled by a dominant long game, pinpoint iron play and a putter that stayed red-hot throughout.
