TAGAYTAY — De La Salle moved within one round of a historic sweep of the inaugural UAAP Season 88 Golf Tournament titles after Perry Bucay and Julia Lua stayed on top of their respective divisions in Wednesday’s rain-hit third round at Tagaytay Midlands.
Despite a shaky 76, Bucay held on to the men’s individual lead with a 54-hole total of 219, while UP’s Joshua Buenaventura charged back into contention with a gritty 73 to close within three shots at 222.
La Salle’s Zach Castro, who started the day just two shots off the lead, slipped with a 78 but remained in the title hunt at 223, setting up a dramatic final-round showdown among the top three contenders.
“I just want to finish the job,” said Bucay, who steadied himself after costly mistakes on Nos. 13 and 14 with a birdie on No. 16 and pars on his final two holes.
“I was hitting and putting better today compared to yesterday, but I messed up on 13 and 14. I just tried to stay composed and finish strong,” he added.
The Green Archers also maintained control of the men’s team race, combining for a 233 behind Bucay, Castro and Zedi Lagman’s 79 for a 673 total, 19 strokes ahead of UP’s 692.
Buenaventura led the Fighting Maroons’ rally with a 73, backed by Miggy Roque’s 75 and Emilio Carpio’s 78. Ateneo stayed third at 704 after a 233 led by Juan Escano’s 74.
In the women’s division, Lua reclaimed the solo lead despite struggling on the rain-soaked back nine. She carded an 85 for a 250 total, one shot ahead of teammate Alexa Dacanay, who also faltered late for an 83 and 251 aggregate.
Lua appeared headed for a comfortable lead after a birdie on No. 13 but dropped six strokes over her final five holes as heavy rain disrupted play and affected conditions.
“I had a more difficult time reading the greens, and when it rained at the back nine, we lost momentum,” Lua said.
Still, the Lady Archers remained firmly in control of the team competition. Counting Jasmine Yusay’s 97, La Salle posted a 265 for a 788 total, 15 strokes clear of Ateneo’s 803.
UP stood at 855, while UST and Adamson trailed at 969 and 1,113, respectively.
“We’ll try to finish strong and do our best,” Lua said as La Salle closed in on a sweep of all four titles in golf’s first appearance as a UAAP demonstration sport.