‘Sto’ wrests control in Luisita Invitational
TARLAC: Peter Stojanovski moved in the threshold of a breakthrough on the Philippine Golf Tour, shooting a solid fourunder 68 in scorching condition then pouncing on Jay Bayron and Clyde Mondilla’s miscues on the treacherous No. 17 to seize a one- stroke lead in the third round of the ICTSI Luisita Invitational here on Thursday.
Relegated to the background in a three-player battle majority of the way, the Macedonian struck with long birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 of Luisita Golf and Country Club then watched Bayron and Mondilla crumble at the waterlaced par-3, 214-yard 17th to rally from three down after 36 holes to one-up at 14-under 202 heading
- lion event put up by ICTSI.
“I had a solid game and played pretty well even it’s very hot,” said Stojanovski, whose best finish in his three- year local stint was joint third in the PGT Asia Aboitiz Invitational at The Orchard last month.
“A win is very important since I am playing here for quite sometime now. I think it’s long overdue,” said Stojanovski, who hopes to shoot a 68 or 69 in
elusive win.
But expect Bayron and Mondilla to bounce back strong, extend Stojanovski’s winless campaign while snapping their respective slumps on the circuit.
Bayron, who took charge by two with a
66 halfw a y through, blew a two- stroke edge as Mondilla regained the lead with early birdies but surged ahead again with birdies on Nos. 10 and 15, only to tumble with a double-bogey on No. 17 when he dumped his 4-iron teeshot into the water. He ended up with a 72 and slipped to joint second with Mondilla at 203.
Mondilla, who fired a leadgrabbing, record setting 64 Tuesday, charged back to the lead with a 33 start but bogeyed No. 10, tied Bayron again with a birdie on No. 15 but fell behind after missing the 17th green for bogey that typified the Filipino aces’