Lascuna wrests 3-shot lead; Juvic quits

Tony Lascuna slowed down a bit after a course-record tying 65 with a three-under
69 but still surged ahead by three strokes as first round co-leader Marvin
Dumandan struggled to match par 72 and Juvic Pagunsan withdrew due to allergy in
the second round of the ICTSI Royal Northwoods Championship in San Rafael,
Bulacan, Thursday.
Lascuna birdied two of the last four holes at the front to negate a double-bogey
mishap on No. 4 where he drove out of bounds, giving the dusky Davaoeno
shotmaker a 34-35 card and a 36-hole aggregate of 10-under 134 at the Royal
Northwoods Golf and Country Club.
That was three shots clear of Dumandan, whose putting turned sour on a day a
host of others gained ground with under-par scores heading into the final round
of the 54-hole tournament organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc.
“I suddenly lost my focus as I hit my drive on No. 4. I could’ve pulled away if
not for that double-bogey,” said Lascuna in Filipino, referring to one of his
three black marks on an otherwise solid card.
He misread an uphill, par-putt on No. 10 and three putted the 16th but rammed in
seven birdies on another fine day, two short of matching his binge in the first
round that kept him in step with Dumandan.
Winner of the ICTSI-Sherwood leg, Dumandan grappled with his balky putter all
day, making 33 putts after a sterling 27-putt effort Wednesday.
He flubbed four make-able birdie putts and had one three-putt bogey, knocking
him off the lead with a 137 after a 72.
“They just wouldn’t fall,” rued Dumandan in Filipino.
Juvic Pagunsan, who stalked Lascuna and Dumandan with a solid 67 in the first
round, decided to withdraw before tee-off time due to rashes on his face, taking
away one solid contender for the top P200,000 purse in the P1 million event
sponsored by International Container Terminal Services, Inc.
“He did everything properly. He didn’t do anything drastic,” said ICTSI-PGT
chief Colo Ventosa, referring to Pagunsan’s withdrawal which brought to mind the
latter’s caper at ICTSI-Forest Hills when he pulled out in the second without
informing the organizers.
Elmer Salvador, who ruled the ICTSI-Mt. Malarayat leg, fired a second straight
69 to put himself in contention at 138 while Rey Pagunsan, who lost by one to
Ferdie Aunzo here last year, carded a 70 for joint fourth with Richard Abaring,
who also shot a 70 for a 139.
Rufino Bayron turned in a three-under 69 and stood in sixth with a 140 while
Richard Sinfuego also shot a 69 for 141 in a tie with Anthony Fernando, who had
a 71, and amateur Dante Becierra, who also made a 71.
Former Philippine Open champion Robert Pactolerin shot a 68 but stood eight
strokes behind at 142 in a tie with amateur Jobim Carlos, member of the team
that won the Lion City Cup championship in Malaysia last week, who fired the
day’s best score of five-under 67, highlighted by four straight birdies from No.
2.
The tournament, the 11th leg of the 13-stage circuit, is backed by MJ Carr Golf
Management, Jaguar, Land Rover, Studio 23, Balls TV, Srixon/Cleveland Golf,
Callaway Golf, Odyssey and Golf Punk and media partners Business Mirror,
Inquirer Golf Monthly, A Round of Golf, Pinoygolfer.com and Omnisource.(pr)