Pagunsan falters, ends up joint 2nd

Juvic Pagunsan wavered and hobbled with a two-over 74, ending up at joint second in the Taiwan Masters won by Gavin Green at the Taiwan Golf and Country Club in Chinese Taipei yesterday.

Pagunsan blew his overnight one-shot lead on a shaky start but fought back from two down to force a tie midway through the final round, only to falter with a bogey on No. 14, closing out with a pair of 37s and a 281.

Green, in contrast, rebounded from a bogey on No. 15 with a clutch birdie on the next to salvage a 71 and snare the top purse of $160,000 with a 279 total.

Brazilian Adilson Da Silva rallied with a 69, Scott Vincent of Zimbabwe carded a 70 and South African Keith Horne fired a 71 to tie Pagunsan at second at seven-under overall. Each received $56,000 (P2.8 million).

Tony Lascuña also floundered with a 75 and wound up at joint 16th at 289 worth $9,600.

Pagunsan, who took control with a gutsy 70 in the third round, yielded the lead early to Green with back-to-back bogeys from No. 2, recovered a shot on No. 6 and forced a tie against Green after the Malaysian bogeyed Nos. 9 and 10.

But Green birdied No. 13 for the third straight day to regain the solo lead and after they traded bogeys in the next two holes, the Malaysian took a two-stroke cushion with a birdie on No. 16.

Over in Japan, Angelo Que slowed down with a 71 and finished solo fifth at 276 in the TOP Cup Tokai Classic topped by Satoshi Kodaira at the Miyoshi Country Club West Course in Aichi.

Que took home $39,124 (P1.9 million) while Kodaira shot a 69 for a 274 and edged Ryuko Tokimatsu (69) by one to win the crown.