Stewart nears elusive crown

I played more than 50 tournaments around the globe and 26 here in the Philippines but winless up to this time.

TIM Stewart fires his third straight 67 to gain a four-shot lead.

TARLAC — Tim Stewart dispatched Lexus Keoninh and Clyde Mondilla with a potent power game and crisp iron play that produced a third straight 67 and a huge four-shot lead over new pursuer Guido Van der Valk after 54 holes of the ICTSI Azucarera de Tarlac Open here Friday.

Unlike in his first two five-under cards marred by three bogeys at the Luisita course that proved tougher in the third day with difficult pin placements and the wind picking up, the Brisbane native kept his latest feat unblemished by saving a couple of pars, including on the last hole, for 34-33 round and a 15-under 201 total.

It was easily one of the lowest 54-hole outputs posted at the dreaded Robert Trent Jones, designed layout but more importantly, it gave Stewart a big cushion in his chase for a victory that has eluded him the past 11 years.

“I played more than 50 tournaments around the globe and 26 here in the Philippines but winless up to this time,” said the 34-year-old Stewart, who actually won the Tasmanian Open as an amateur in 2008, the year he turned pro.

With a commanding lead, the power hitter could be heading to a dream title run although he remained wary of his chances for the top $17,500 purse staked in this event serving as the sixth leg of the third season of the region’s flourishing circuit.

“The wind not so strong but it changed direction often times unlike in the first two rounds,” Stewart said.

“But golf is unpredictable. Many weird things happen along the way. So I will just play and enjoy my game.”

As Keoninh and Mondilla wobbled, Van der Valk threatened to within one off Stewart with a solid 32 start. But the Manila-based Dutchman, winner of PGT’s kickoff leg in Cebu last June, failed to get a crack at the lead with a couple of flubbed birdie chances, playing the backside on even terms for a second 68 and a 205.

Keoninh, who caught up with Stewart at the helm with a bogey-free 66 Thursday, fell behind with two bogeys after six holes and reeled farther back with three straight bogeys from No. 10 against two birdies. He limped with a 75 and tumbled to joint sixth at 209 with Rupert Zaragosa, who shot a second straight 70.

“I played an adventurous game and that’s it. I couldn’t do anything right out there,” rued Keoninh.

Mondilla, just three shots behind the joint leaders halfway through the $100,000 event co-sanctioned by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. and PGA of Taiwan, pressed his bid with three birdies against a bogey after five holes. But the reigning Philippine Open champion got himself undone with a wet triple-bogey on the par-3.

“I had a good start, but went into the water twice on No. 6,” said Mondilla of his errant 7-iron tee shot on the 201-yard hole.