FIDEL CONCEPCION stood his ground and delivered a steely performance that brought him within striking distance of a long-awaited breakthrough on the Philippine Golf Tour.
In searing heat and on the unforgiving fairways of the Apo Golf and Country Club in Davao, Concepcion produced the day’s lone under-par card-a gritty 71-to seize the solo lead at four-under 212 to move three shots clear of veteran Elmer Salvador.
‘Tomorrow [Friday], I’ll have a chance to do something I’ve never done before, and it’s a pretty good opportunity to keep proving to myself that eventually, it will happen,’ said Concepcion, who admitted that the pressure came more from within than from the local contenders.
‘There’s a lot more pressure coming from myself than from handling the locals,’ he said. ‘But as long as I can manage that internal pressure, I should be okay.’
To finally break through in the P3.5 million championship, Concepcion said his focus would be simple: ‘keep the ball in play.’
‘If you hit the wrong side of the fairways or the greens, it’s pretty tough to make pars,’ he explained as he readied himself to close in on his first title that will be worth P630,000.
Tied with James Ryan Lam after 36 holes, Concepcion faltered with a 37 on the front nine as the lead changed hands almost after every hole, but regained momentum with a birdie on No. 10 to move back in front, then solidified his position with another birdie on the par-five 13th.
As Davao standouts Salvador, Tony Lascuña, Elee Bisera and Zanieboy Gialon and Lam faded one after another, Concepcion remained composed and focused, carding pars over the last five holes to secure a commanding three-stroke lead over Salvador.
But breathing down his neck are some of the country’s most accomplished pros-Salvador, Lascuña, Bisera and Gialon.
Local favorite Salvador, who matched par at the front but bogeyed the water-guarded par-three 11th, birdied the 14th to pull within two of Concepcion. However, he bogeyed the par-5 finishing hole to settle for a 73 and a 215.
Lascuña moved within one stroke after a frontside 36 but slipped with a double bogey on the 12th. He regrouped with two birdies against a bogey over the last six holes to also card a 73, joining Lam, who rallied with two late birdies in the final three holes to salvage a 75, at third place with 216, four shots behind Concepcion.
Bisera and Gialon also stayed within two strokes at the turn but faltered with miscues down the stretch, both finishing with 74s to drop to joint fifth at 217 alongside Korean Jaehyun Jung, who turned in an even-par 72.
Guido van der Valk, last year’s runner-up to Jhonnel Ababa in a sudden-death playoff, struggled with a 75 and slipped to eighth at 218, while Jerson Balasabas and Russell Bautista matched 73s for a share of ninth at 220 with American Collin Wheeler, who stumbled with a 74.