TARLAC – In a day of changing fortunes, Peter Stojanovski shot a bogey-free 68 yesterday then pounced on Jay Bayron and Clyde Mondilla’s miscues on the treacherous No. 17 to seize a one-stroke lead in the third round of the ICTSI Luisita Invitational and move in the threshold of a breakthrough on the Philippine Golf Tour.

Though still 18 holes away from a dream championship, Stojanovski feels he has built enough confidence, not to mention momentum, to fend off the Filipino aces’ expected final round charge and nail the elusive win.

“A win is very important since I am playing here for quite sometime now. I think it’s long overdue,” said Stojanovski, who hopes to shoot a 68 or 69 in today’s final round to end a long title quest.

Relegated to the background in a three-player battle majority of the way, the Macedonian struck with long birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 of the Luisita Golf and Country Club here then watched Bayron and Mondilla crumble at the water-laced par-3 17th to rally from three down after 36 holes to one-up at 14-under 202 heading to the final round of the P4 million event put up by ICTSI.

“I had a solid game and played pretty well even it’s very hot,” said Stojanovski, whose best finish in his three-year local stint was joint third in the PGT Asia Aboitiz Invitational at The Orchard last month.

But expect Bayron and Mondilla to bounce back strong, extend Stojanovski’s winless campaign and snap their respective slumps on the circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.

Bayron, who took charge by two with a 66 halfway through, blew a two-stroke edge as Mondilla regained the lead with early birdies but surged ahead again with birdies on Nos. 10 and 15, only to tumble with a double-bogey on No. 17 when he dumped his 4-iron tee-shot into the water. He ended up with a 72 and slipped to joint second with Mondilla at 203.

“My game is okay and I was playing relatively good until No. 17,” said Bayron. “I think I need to shoot five-under tomorrow (today) to win.”

Mondilla, who fired a lead-grabbing, record setting 64 Tuesday, charged back to the lead with a 33 start but bogeyed No. 10, tied Bayron again with a birdie on No. 15 but fell behind after missing the 17th green for bogey that typified the Filipino aces’ shaky finish in sweltering heat. He finished with a 70, missing joining Stojanovski at the helm with a flubbed birdie putt from six feet on the final hole.

“I misread my line of putt. I could’ve tied for the lead,” rued Mondilla, winless in the season after scoring four victories last year to clinch the OOM title.

Aussie Tim Stewart also holed out with a bogey for a 69 and fell five shots off Stojanovski at 207 while Tony Lascuña pressed his bid with three straight birdies from No. 2 but made three bogeys against the same number of birdies in the last 14 holes. He wound up with a 69 for a 208.

Zanieboy Gialon settled for a 72 and a 210, Arnold Villacencio shot a 71 to tie Reymon Jaraula, who hobbled with a 73, at 211 while Gerald Rosales and Mhark Fernando fired identical 70s to join six others at 212, including American Lexus Keoninh (71), Joenard Rates (73), Nilo Salahog (73), Japanese Issei Mori (74), Jhonnel Ababa (76) and this year’s Order of Merit Jobim Carlos (71) in the final leg of the PGT backed by Custom Clubmakers, Meralco, Champion, Summit Mineral Water, K&G Golf Apparel, BDO, Sharp, KZG, PLDT and M.Y. Shokai Technology, Inc.