ILOILO CITY — Zanieboy Gialon surged past two-day leader Fidel Concepcion with a composed and dominant performance as he carded a bogey-free 66 but faced a formidable challenger in Jhonnel Ababa in the third round of the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge here on Thursday.

Gialon capitalized on Concepcion’s early struggles and an early burst of birdies to finish the day with a solid four-under card and a 11-under 199 total, positioning himself for a long-awaited title victory at the par-70 Iloilo Golf and Country Club.

But Ababa shook off a wobbly frontside performance of one-over 37, rattling off four birdies in the last nine holes to fire a 67 and assume the challenger’s role at 201.

“I feel like my putting is in great shape, which is why I’m confident I can make birdies,” Ababa said in Filipino.

He also dismissed any notion of feeling pressure heading into the final round, particularly from contenders like Ababa, saying: “There’s no pressure from them. The real challenge is the course itself.”

Despite an inconsistent front nine, Ababa found his rhythm on the back nine, sinking four birdies and setting the stage for an intense final round in the P2.5-million tourney organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. and presented by MORE Electric and Power Corp.

Ababa remarked his driving will be key in his bid for the title worth P450,000, saying: “If my driving improves, I’ll gain the confidence I need.”

He, however, admitted he could have played better.

“My game wasn’t that great today. I missed many greens, but my putting saved me,” said Ababa in Filipino, hoping to emulate the success of his cousin, Sarah Ababa, who won the 54-hole ladies’ division, and repeat their Apo feats last March.

Meanwhile, erstwhile two-day leader Concepcion struggled with his game, posting a three-over through 16 holes. He managed to salvage his round with a birdie on the 17th, finishing with a 72 and tying with Reymon Jaraula at 203.

Though disappointed with his performance, Concepcion is still hopeful for a breakthrough win.

“Things didn’t go as planned today. I wasn’t able to execute the shots I wanted, especially off the tee. Plus, my putter was cold,” said Concepcion. He had been strong in the first two rounds, firing 11 birdies against two bogeys, but could only manage one birdie in this pivotal round, which was marred by three bogeys.