DAVAO CITY – Micah Shin turned a wobbly start into a dazzling display of power and precision, coming away with a 67 to seize firm control of the ICTSI Apo Golf Classic and move within one round of capping his Philippine Golf Tour campaign with another victory here on Thursday.
After stumbling to one-over through his first four holes, the Korean-American ace unleashed a blistering five-birdie burst over a six-hole stretch to regain command and leave the rest of the elite field scrambling to keep pace. He then shifted into cruise control over the closing holes, holing out with another birdie and stretching his overnight four-shot lead over Clyde Mondilla to a commanding seven strokes over Russell Bautista.
With earlier rounds of 66 and 68, Shin stood at 15-under 201, turning what had shaped up as a competitive title chase into a virtual one-man show with 18 holes left to play in the P3 million season-ending tournament. His awesome firepower, near-flawless iron play and assured putting proved a formidable combination, leaving his challengers with little room to mount a serious charge.
Yet it was more than a hot putter and pinpoint ball-striking that set Shin apart. His intimate knowledge of Apo Golf and Country Club, where he honed and sharpened his game, gave him a distinct edge, allowing him to navigate the course's nuances with the confidence of a player who knows precisely where to attack and where to exercise caution.
Sean Ramos made an early bid to stay within striking distance, recovering from a miscue on the opening hole with birdies on Nos. 7, 9 and 10. But the recent Asian Development Tour winner could not sustain the charge, bogeying two of the last four holes for a 72 and dropped to joint third with Mondilla at 211 total.
Bautista, meanwhile, produced one of the day's most impressive rounds, firing a fiery 66 to grab solo second at 208 and revive his bid for a strong finish.
Bautista's charge was highlighted by a birdie-blast on No. 9 that capped a solid four-under 32 on the front nine. He added another birdie on the 13th, then quickly recovered from a bogey on No. 16 with a birdie on the next hole. He saved his best for last, chipping in from beneath the trees on the par-5 18th to within four feet before tapping in for yet another birdie.
Shin admitted that his scoring was not necessarily a reflection of his best ball-striking, with a few fortunate breaks and a hot putter on the front nine helping him post a strong round.
“I hit some good shots and some bad ones, but I also got a few lucky breaks and holed a lot of putts on the front nine. I think that helped me score really well,” said Shin, who insisted that his approach remained unchanged from the opening two rounds, with the focus firmly on avoiding costly mistakes rather than chasing perfection.
“Nothing was really different from the first two rounds. I just stuck to the same approach and tried to hit the fairways. I didn’t hit that many, but that was still the plan – get the ball in play and avoid bogeys,” he added.
While bogeys can trigger frustration, Shin believes his ability to quickly move on from mistakes has been key to keeping his round on track.
“I get really angry when I make a bogey, but I tend to forget about it pretty quickly. Maybe that helps,” he said.
What makes Shin even more dangerous is that he believes he is still some way from his best form.
The added expectations of playing at his home course had weighed on him heading into the tournament, but he now appears to be settling into his game and embracing the challenge.
“To be honest, I wasn’t feeling too good coming into this tournament. Everyone expects me to win because this is my home course, and part of me felt that pressure. But I’m in a more comfortable position now, and I’m feeling pretty good,” said Shin.
Mondilla, who had opened with back-to-back 69s, saw his challenge unravel with a 73 marked by errant shots and missed putts and slipped to joint third with Ramos.
Guido van der Valk birdied the last two holes to spike a bogey-free 66, jumping from joint 19th to a share of fifth at 212 with Jeremy Tandoy, who also faltered down the stretch and finished with a 72. Kim Tae Soo fumbled with a 73 to drop to seventh at 214.
Meanwhile, Jacob Rolida moved closer to another low amateur honors, firing a 71 for a 215 to surge past Alex Bisera, who stumbled with a 74 for a 217.
With a seven-shot cushion and his game firing on nearly all cylinders, Shin now stands on the brink of another triumph and the top P534,000 purse, with the final round threatening to become a coronation walk for the 29-year-old ace.
But while the margin gives him considerable breathing room, the last round remains one more hurdle between him and a triumphant close to the 2026 PGT season.
Shin opened the year in winning fashion, holding off Miguel Tabuena by one stroke in the prestigious The Country Club Invitational, the flagship event of the PGT, last January. He then took his campaign abroad, where his results included a top-10 finish. Though he did not dominate overseas, the experience further sharpened his skills and helped round out his game.
Now back on familiar ground, Shin has put those gains on full display. Through three rounds at Apo, he has combined power with control, answered early trouble with decisive shot-making and steadily widened the gap between himself and the field.
One round remains, but the message has been unmistakable: Shin is in command, and the challengers will need something extraordinary to deny him another victory. TMT
