Shaken but unbowed

ANTIPOLO CITY — Carl Corpus turned what had looked like an early coronation march into a tense third-round finish in Moving Day of the ICTSI Valley Golf Challenge here on Thursday, settling for a two-under 70 to stay in command by four and within reach of a breakthrough Philippine Golf Tour victory.

Though he brushed aside pressure as the cause of his shaky windup, Corpus admitted that the late-round turbulence owed much to a combination of unfavorable pin placements and the demands of Valley Golf South’s tricky greens.

“There no pressure, my approach shots were just a little but far,” said Corpus, who three-putted three times in his last seven holes.

“On this course, you really have to hit it very close because it’s so hard to putt — the greens were quite slow. I didn’t have the luxury of sticking my approaches near the pin, and that cost me those three-putts.”

His bogeys on Nos. 12, 13 and 17 came after he had soared to an imposing eight-shot lead spiked by another eagle on No. 7 and a birdie on the 11th for a running 14-under total. But Corpus clarified that the miscues were not mental lapses — they were the product of targets that simply didn’t suit his natural shape.

“To be honest, I needed to make better decisions, especially since most of the pins were on the tough right side,” he said.

“I’m not very comfortable with those because I hit a draw. All season I’ve struggled with that kind of placement. I’ve been working on it a lot, but sometimes it really comes down to luck.”

Despite these hurdles, the rookie remained firmly in control with a 12-under 204 aggregate.

Yet fate dealt him an unexpected twist as his closest chaser turned out to be someone he knows as well as anyone — his cousin, Aidric Chan.

Chan carded a sparkling 66, highlighted by an eagle-aided 34 on the front and a blistering four-birdie charge in the last nine holes. Now four shots back at 208, he emerged as the primary threat after early pursuers Clyde Mondilla, Arnold Villacencio and Angelo Que all faltered when they were expected to launch a serious assault.

“I’m excited to play with Carl,” Chan said.

“It’s something we’ve both dreamed of since we were young — to compete at the top level together.”

Chan insisted he would carry no expectations into the final round.

“I’ll just play my game and let God’s plan work. I do better when I focus on my process and enjoy the round,” he said.

Joining the cousins in the championship flight is multi-titled Guido van der Valk, who birdied his last two holes for a 69 to tie Que, who shot a 70, at 210.

Meanwhile, Jeffren Lumbo’s 71 dropped him to joint fifth at 211 with Ryan Monsalve, who put in a 70, while Villacencio and Mondilla slipped to 212 after struggling with 73 and 74, respectively.

Tony Lascuña rediscovered his rhythm, topping the day with a tournament-best, bogey-free 64 that hauled the five-time Order of Merit champion from near the tail of the surviving field to a share of ninth at 213 alongside Jhonnel Ababa and Ira Alido, who matched 69s.

Despite his wobbly finish, Corpus exuded confidence — anchored not only in his lead, but in the belief that he had already endured Valley’s toughest tests.

“I’m very confident, but there will always be problems out there,” Corpus said.

“You have to stay resilient and do whatever it takes but I’ll stay aggressive.”

He also welcomes the idea of a friendly final-round atmosphere with Chan.