Age doesn’t matter as young Ramos shines

CABANATUAN CITY — Sean Ramos moved on the cusp of a breakthrough victory in the Philippine Golf Tour, beating Tony Lascuña in a captivating showdown between emerging talent and seasoned campaigner to seize a one-stroke lead with a flawless 66 in the third round of the ICTSI Lakewood Championship yesterday.

Ramos kept his mastery of Lakewood’s front nine, displacing joint leaders Art Arbole and Lascuña with another impressive five-under 31. Despite slowing down to one birdie at the backside, the young Asian Development Tour competitor maintained his position atop the leaderboard with a three-day total of 13-under 203.

“My ball-striking was solid today (Thursday). I missed only three greens. My putting was also on point, allowing me to score low,” Ramos said.

“Everything from driving to putting clicked well, so I’m very pleased with my performance.”

Having previously led during early rounds in other tournaments, Ramos, 20, expressed confidence in holding his first outright tournament lead, especially against experienced Tour veterans.

“I’ll focus on hitting fairways and greens and aim to avoid bogeys. Par is always a good score,” he added.

While Ramos displayed consistency, Lascuña showcased resilience, recovering from a challenging three-bogey skid from No. 10 by firing three birdies from the 13th, narrowly missing joining Ramos in the lead after a missed birdie opportunity from four feet on the closing par-5 hole.

“I was so close — that missed putt on the last hole could have tied it,” said Lascuña, who remained in contention for another victory with an eagle-aided 68 for a 204.

As Ramos surged ahead at the front and Lascuña dealt with a fluctuating start at the back, the gap widened to three strokes before Lascuña rallied with a trio of birdies within six feet, putting him back in the title hunt in the P2.5-million championship sponsored by ICTSI.

Facing off against an opponent 33 years his junior, Lascuña aims to apply pressure on Ramos and draw upon his wealth of experience in what promises to be an intense battle for the top prize of P450,000.

“I’ve been in these situations before. Just sticking to what I know works,” said Lascuña, seeking his 54th career win, which includes victories overseas, including one in Taiwan in 2019.

Reymon Jaraula joined the championship flight with a 205, boosted by three birdies in the final five holes for a 68, positioning himself for another Philippine Golf Tour triumph after dominating at Valley last year.

Although Jaraula missed matching Lascuña’s three-day total on a missed eagle putt from eight feet on the 18th, he vowed to maintain focus in the final round, particularly on the challenging greens of Lakewood.

“Putting was a bit of a struggle today (Thursday). I’ll take whatever tomorrow brings, but my focus needs to be sharp,” Jaraula said.