BUKIDNON – Reymon Jaraula turned in a four-under 68 on Thursday, Oct. 16, and seized a one-shot lead over Rupert Zaragosa heading into the final round of the ICTSI Del Monte Championship here.
With a three-day total of 14-under 202, the Bukidnon native catapulted himself from second to first, bringing him within 18 holes of a storybook redemption – and his fourth career victory on the Philippine Golf Tour.
“Ang advantage ko dito ay home course ko ‘to at very familiar ako,” said Jaraula, who turned adversity into opportunity after a bogey start and a costly double bogey on the par-4 13th.
He clawed back with a steady front nine capped by an eagle on the par-5 No. 9, then scorched the closing stretch with three straight birdies from No. 14 to seal a resilient 34-34 round.
Now standing on the brink of another triumph, Jaraula is determined not just to win, but to rewrite the ending of last year’s heartbreak at Del Monte, where he fell just one shot short of Clyde Mondilla. This time, he has the crowd behind him, course familiarity on his side, and a steely focus to match.
But chasing closely is the in-form Zaragosa, who carded a steady 71 for a 203 total and remained well within striking distance of back-to-back PGT titles following his dominant victory in Negros Occidental last month.
Though his red-hot 64 in the second round briefly vaulted him into the lead, Zaragosa grappled with inconsistency off the tee on moving day.
But a dependable short game – particularly his pitch-and-putt precision – kept him in contention for the top P623,000 purse out of the P3.5 million total prize.
As the two top guns battle it out, veteran Tony Lascuña quietly surged into contention with another vintage 68, his second straight, for a 10-under 206 total – just four shots off the lead.
At 54, the five-time PGT Order of Merit winner continues to defy expectations, but not without acknowledging the toll time has taken on his game. He’s shot 36 on the back nine all three days after a 34 and two 32s.
The chasing pack also remained formidable. Japan’s Atsushi Ueda (68), Russell Bautista (69), Keanu Jahns (70) and Kuresh Samanodi (70) are all tied at 207, five shots off the pace. Korean Jaehyun Jung also made a move with a second straight 69 to join Dino Villanueva (70), Guido van der Valk (70), Mondilla (72) and Michael Bibat (73) at 209.
Mondilla, the defending champion, briefly flashed his title-retaining form with back-to-back birdies bridging the nines, but a costly double bogey on the par-5 18th – the same hole he eagled the previous round – derailed his round and dropped him to joint eighth.
