Frankie Miñoza failed to sustain a third straight subpar round and came up with an unimpressive three-over-par 73 in the third but remained in the hunt, or at least a top-five finish, in the ¥130-million UBS Japan Golf Tour Championship in Ibaraki outside of Tokyo.

Miñoza finished with an aggregate one-under 209 at the par-70, 7,214-yard West course of Shishido Hills Country Club and was tied in sixth place with Zhang Lian-wei of China.  He was five shots behind leader Shingo Katayam of Japan.

Despite the slowdown, the 47-year-old winner in the Philippine Open champion last February at Wack Wack, is still upbeat for another crown in the cash-rich Japan Tour.  The last time he hoisted a trophy was in 2001 at the Fuji Sankei Classic.

Miñoza, whose postround interview was interrupted by a passing marching band, something he said had not happened since he won Japan’s 1995 Daikyo Open in Okinawa, survived an up-and-down day.

“I played very well on the front nine but the back side was just terrible. I hit my tee shot in the rough and then pulled my second shot. The third shot hit a tree and stayed there and I made double-bogey. It was nice being in the final group, though, especially on one of the last two days,” said Miñoza.

“On this course, anything can happen. Five strokes is nothing here. If I can make a couple of birdies and those guys make some bogeys, it is not so far. I think I have a chance to win,” added Miñoza, No. 10 on the Asian Tour’s UBS Order of Merit.

Only seven players remain under par at the event known as the “players championship” of men’s golf in Japan, with Katayama’s fine round of three-under 67 enough to secure a two-stroke lead at an aggregate of six-under 204. Japanese Naoya Takemoto and Toshinori Muto share second at four-under, Korean Lee Dong Hwan and another local Kaname Yokoo were two shots adrift at 208. Miñoza is with Zhang another one shot back.

Other Asian Tour players were beyond striking distance although poised for strong finishes. Thailand’s Prom Meesawat is tied for 19th at three-over 213 after a 72 and China’s Lin Keng-Chi is a shot back after a 74.  Another Thai, Prayad Marksaeng, posted a 76 for 215.

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Frankie Miñoza failed to sustain a third straight subpar round and came up with an unimpressive three-over-par 73 in the third but remained in the hunt, or at least a top-five finish, in the ¥130-million UBS Japan Golf Tour Championship in Ibaraki outside of Tokyo.

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