Jahns leads as Que, Concepcion chase in ICTSI Caliraya

CAVINTI, Laguna – In a tense duel with one of the Philippine Golf Tour’s hottest players, Keanu Jahns didn’t flinch and surged ahead with a sizzling round to seize the solo lead in the ICTSI Caliraya Springs Championship on Thursday.

The big-hitting Jahns went toe-to-toe with veteran Angelo Que in the penultimate flight with Rupert Zaragosa, emerging unscathed from a birdie-laden third round.

He carded a 7-under 65 — highlighted by an eagle and a solid 31 on the front nine — to move from joint third to outright leader at 14-under 202 on the Arnold Palmer-designed Caliraya Springs layout.

Que matched Jahns’ front-nine fireworks with four birdies of his own, but settled for a 67 after mixing two birdies with a bogey on the back nine to sit one shot back at 203.

In the flight ahead, Fidel Concepcion matched Que’s 32-35 card to climb to solo third at 204, setting the stage for a potential three-way showdown in the final round — one filled with pressure, precision and poise.

It’s no longer just a Jahns-Que shootout.

Concepcion, Zaragosa (69), Aidric Chan (67) and American Collin Wheeler (65) are all within four shots of the lead at 206, promising a six-man thriller on a course primed for birdies.

Wheeler, in particular, looms as a threat.

He fired a bogey-free round built on crisp approach shots and a red-hot putter — a dangerous combination heading into the final 18 holes.

Zaragosa and Chan, both seasoned in high-stakes play, remain poised for a final-day surge.

“This course is gettable,” said Jahns, who’s chasing his first win since Forest Hills last year.

“It’s going to be another low round tomorrow, so you have to watch out for the other guys who are two or three flights ahead of you.”

Que downplayed the pressure, framing the matchup more as camaraderie than combat.

“Not really a shootout,” Que said.

“I feel like I’m just playing with a friend. He’s learning from me and I’m learning from him. So it’s going to be fun.”

Still, the stakes are real.

With PHP440,000 and pride on the line in this fourth leg of the 10-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc., the final round will be both a mental and physical battle.

Concepcion has quietly built the most consistent performance of the week, with 14 birdies against just four bogeys through 54 holes.

His control and composure suggest he may be ready for a breakthrough.

Meanwhile, several early frontrunners faltered under the pressure of moving day.

Carl Corpus, who led after 36 holes with rounds of 66 and 69, stumbled with a 73.

He dropped to joint eighth at 208 alongside Korean Ji Sung Cheon, who carded a 72 after a fast start, and Ababa, who closed with a 69.

Corpus’ final round was derailed by a double bogey and two bogeys on the back nine, canceling out his three birdies.

Ababa, who had surged to 11-under after a birdie binge from holes 3 to 5, imploded with a double bogey on No. 6, a bogey on No. 7, and an out-of-bounds drive on No. 9 that led to a double.

He clawed back with three birdies on the closing stretch, but it wasn’t enough to hold his spot.

The spotlight now falls on the final pairing and the pack of hungry contenders.

Jahns, whose putting has been sharp all week, knows the plan.

“Steady lang,” he said.

“Make a few birdies and I should be okay.”

But with Que sharpening his irons — including a clutch 20-foot birdie on No. 11 — and Concepcion brimming with confidence, the leaderboard remains wide open.

The Caliraya Springs finale is set to deliver a grand finish — a clash of youth and experience, precision and nerves — in what could be one of the most electrifying final rounds in recent PGT history.