Pinned down but unshaken, Corpus clings to 4-shot lead

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ANTIPOLO – Carl Corpus turned what had looked like an early coronation march into a tense third-round finish on Moving Day of the ICTSI Valley Golf Challenge here on Thursday, settling for a 2-under 70 even as he stayed 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.

“Wala naman pressure, medyo malayo lang mga approach shots ko,” 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 8-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,” said Chan. “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,” said Corpus. “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.

“Mas magaan for sure. I’ve played with him so many times since we were young. For us, it’s just another golf round,” he said.

Still, Corpus is fully aware of what is at stake.

“I’m very excited to win this event. We work so hard all year — every day — and to show that on this stage would be amazing,” he said. “If I win? Honestly, no words. Just pure excitement.”

Yet Que and van der Valk, six shots adrift, remain determined to spoil the cousins’ bid in the PHP 2 million final leg of this year’s Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. circuit.

Corpus started the day ablaze — birdies on Nos. 1 and 3, a bounce-back birdie on the sixth, and a second straight eagle on the par-5 seventh. Another birdie at the 11th sent him soaring to an 8-shot cushion. But the tough right-side pins and slow, sloping greens proved stubborn adversaries, trimming his margin and ensuring that the final 18 holes remain far from a mere victory march.