Singapore – Gonzalo Fernandez-Casntano and Juvic Pagunsan will return on Monday for a playoff to determine the winner of the Singapore Open after inclement weather wouldn't allow them to finish on Sunday.
The two teed off on the 18th hole Sunday to begin the playoff until lightning in the area stopped play. The pair warmed up to return, hit a shot, then left again as more electricity proved too dangerous.
After a few more hours of delay time, officials decided to suspend the playoff until Monday (Sunday night et). Fernandez-Castano and Pagunsan both laid up with their second shots and will hit their third when the playoff resumes.
It's almost fitting that the playoff poured over into Monday. Bad weather wreaked havoc on Friday and Saturday and tournament officers shortened the championship to 54 holes.
Fernandez-Castano, the 36-hole leader, blew a four-shot lead on the back nine Sunday. He finished with a one-over 72, while Pagunsan posted a four-under 67.
The pair finished regulation at 14-under 199 at The Serapong Course.
Pagunsan found the fairway off 18 tee in the playoff, but Fernandez-Castano drove into sand. The horn sounded and after almost an hour, they came back and laid up down the fairway.
Then play was done for the day.
Fernandez-Castano will be going for his fifth European Tour title, while Pagunsan is looking for that maiden victory.
It was a disappointing finish for Fernandez-Castano on Sunday. He held a four- shot lead until a missed five-foot par putt at 12 trimmed his cushion to three strokes.
The Spaniard bogeyed the 14th and 15th holes when he missed a four-footer for par. Fernandez-Castano actually holed a gutsy six-footer for par at 16.
Fortunately for Fernandez-Castano, most of his closest competitors also slipped down the leaderboard. It was Pagunsan who emerged as the main threat to Fernandez-Castano.
Pagunsan birdied the 15th and sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the last to match Fernandez-Castano in the lead at 14-under par. Fernandez-Castano drove into the water on the par-five closing hole and pitched to the fairway with his third. He knocked his fourth to 15 feet and made the par putt to force a playoff.
Former British Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen (65) and Anthony Kim (64) narrowly missed the playoff. They shared third place at 13-under-par 200, one stroke out of the extra session.
Danny Lee (68), Joost Luiten (67) and Edoardo Molinari (71) tied for fifth at minus-12.
NOTES: If Pagunsan wins on Monday, he will become the first Filipino to win a co-sanctioned European Tour event...No matter if he wins, he will lead the Asian Tour Order of Merit...Phil Mickelson shot a one-under 70 and tied for 33rd at five-under par.
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